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UNICEF: 1 million facing food shortages, nutrition crisis within Mozambique
17.09.2019 13:02 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
As of now, within Mozambique, about 1 million people (incl. 160,000 children under five) suffer food shoratges or nutrition crisis due to devastation caused by two back-to-back cyclones earlier this year, UN Radio says referring to Marcoluigi Corsi, UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) Representative within Mozambique, yesterday report.
As to Corsi, the UNICEF expects the number of affected children will rise to 200,000 by Feb 2020, while nearly 40,000 are possible to become severely malnourished and at risk of death.
It is to be reminded, the cyclones Idai and Kenneth struck central and northern Mozambique as of this year Mar and Apr. The storms caused widespread flooding, destroyed nearly 780,000 hectares of crops, and displaced tens of thousands of families.
«The agricultural devastation wrought by the two cyclones has made what were already high levels of child malnutrition even worse,» Corsi admitted.
However, Corsi reminded, even before the cyclones, over 40% of Mozambique children were chronically malnourished or stunted.
As to him, presently UNICEF and partners are working to reach families. Efforts include providing therapeutic food supplements to nearly 10,000 malnourished children. They also are implementing a voucher programme as well as child grants to address immediate food insecurity.
However, now UNICEF requires nearly US$103 million to fund its operations through May 2020. So far, only US$34.1 million has been received
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