The ongoing armed conflict in Cabo Delgado, Northern Mozambique, is providing a set of challenges to national and international organisations in delivering effective humanitarian and development assistance. A lack of conflict sensitive practice by some agencies has led to unintended consequences and hindered the delivery of aid to those who need it most.
PCi has been supporting WeWorld to strengthen its conflict sensitivity since 2021, including developing a global Conflict Sensitivity Toolkit. Our work with WeWorld’s team in Cabo Delgado included developing an understanding of conflict dynamics and conflict sensitivity risks in the communities in which WeWorld is working; supporting WeWorld’s project team to prioritise, mitigate and monitor these risks using our conflict sensitive interactions matrix; and developing indicators and tools for measuring the project’s impact on social cohesion.
Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado region has been experiencing conflict since 2017. Militants aligned to Islamic extremist groups have killed thousands and displaced more than a million. Whilst some of these militants came from neighbouring countries, Mozambicans have also joined in significant numbers, motivated by their social and economic marginalisation as the inhabitants of one of Mozambique’s poorest regions. Discoveries of natural resource wealth in Cabo Delgado are perceived to have not benefitted local communities.
Against this backdrop, local and international humanitarian and development agencies have been continuing to deliver much-needed support to communities across Cabo Delgado. This support has included providing food aid, building shelter for displaced people and supporting healthcare and education. However, delivering humanitarian and development work in conflict is a complex endeavour, fraught with the risk of exacerbating tensions by benefitting one group over the other, or having materials and supplies diverted by armed groups or powerful elites.
To receive updates from Peaceful Change initiative, including about our latest toolkits, reports, analysis and events, please subscribe below.
