The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Supporting crisis recovery in northern Mozambique
UNOPS is supporting the government of Mozambique’s efforts to promote peace and socio-economic development, with funding from the World Bank.
- This article was originally published on 29 September 2021. It has been updated to reflect recent project developments and the evolving situation in the region.
Project updates:
11 June 2024
As part of the project, more than 700 fishermen from Palma, Metuge and Mocímboa da Praia received 53 motorboats that will support fishing and subsistence agriculture – vital for food security and livelihoods
“These boats are for producing food, to reduce poverty,” said Mozambique's Deputy Minister of the Sea, Inland Waters, and Fisheries, Henriques Bongece.
Read more here (in Portuguese and English).
Since October 2017, ongoing violent conflict in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado Province has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and led to a dire humanitarian crisis. In 2023, at least two million people in the region needed life-saving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance and protection, including food aid and livelihood support.
To improve access to much-needed basic services and foster longer-term peace and economic development, the government of Mozambique is implementing the 'Northern Crisis Recovery Project' through the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Funded through $200 million in grants from the World Bank’s International Development Association, UNOPS is providing implementation and advisory support for the project – including helping to build or rehabilitate health, education and other key public infrastructure – working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Finance's Directorate of Monitoring and Evaluation, government agencies, provincial government of Cabo Delgado, UN partners, non-governmental organizations and other local stakeholders.
The Northern Crisis Recovery Project is responding to Mozambique's urgent humanitarian and development needs, providing people living in Cabo Delgado Province with the tools they need to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.
Through the project, internally displaced persons and host communities in the region are benefitting from a range of initiatives that have l helped foster greater social cohesion – including through support to community-based organizations and peacebuilding committees – and support vulnerable individuals and households through the provision of social services.
The project has also provided vital income support and economic opportunities – including vocational and technical skills and self-employment kits for women and youth, support for fishing and agricultural activities, and entrepreneurship and business management training.
"With the Northern Crisis Recovery Project, people living far away from government facilities will have increased access to essential services," said Valige Tauabo, Governor of Cabo Delgado Province.
Rainer Frauenfeld, Director of UNOPS Multi-Country Office in Kenya, added that the project is a significant step towards improving the lives of those living in the remote north of Mozambique.
“It will help translate the government’s commitments to supporting vulnerable communities affected by local conflict into specific results,” said Mr. Frauenfeld.
About the project
The 'Northern Crisis Recovery Project’ is a government of Mozambique project being implemented by UNOPS in coordination with local partners, with financing from the World Bank. Project activities include:
- building social cohesion and resilience to conflict
- providing livelihood and economic opportunities for internally displaced persons and host communities
- rehabilitating and constructing climate-resilient public infrastructure and procuring equipment for it
- supporting project implementation, monitoring and evaluation – including strengthening the capacity of the Directorate of Monitoring and Evaluation and local governments for project implementation, financial management, procurement, compliance with social and environmental standards, reporting and monitoring and evaluation
