Maputo, July 24, 2025 (Lusa) - Mozambican authorities have said that a total of 144,000 people are in an emergency situation in the country and in need of support, with 114,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition.
“The results of the post-shock projection show that, of the approximately two million people in the regions assessed, 144,000 are in an emergency situation and need support,” said Judite Mussácula, executive secretary of the Technical Secretariat for Food and Nutritional Security (Setsan), in Maputo on Wednesday.
According to the official, who was speaking on the sidelines of the National Council for Food and Nutritional Security, 24,400 households were assessed in at least 66 (of the 154) Mozambican regions.
Judite Mussácula said that several regions and provinces have been supporting the public in need and hospitals are also prepared to provide assistance so that there are no “more complicated” situations.
“We will continue to monitor so that there are no more serious issues,” said Mussácula, noting that the assessment in the regions also pointed to 114,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition.
“There are 114,000 children aged between 6 and 59 months who have been acutely malnourished in the last two months and need health care,” said the executive secretary, noting that efforts were being made to improve malnutrition indicators among children in Mozambique.
On 20 June, the Mozambican government launched a new food security strategy aimed at reducing chronic child malnutrition in the country, which has been exacerbated by climate change in recent years.
The strategy aims to “have healthy, nutritious agriculture on a scale that can solve the country’s food problem,” said Roberto Albino, minister for agriculture, environment and fisheries, when launching the new Food and Nutrition Security Policy and Strategy (PESAN).
The country has made progress in reducing food insecurity, but chronic malnutrition, especially among children under 5, remains high, affecting 37% of this population group, according to government data released in 2023.
According to the Technical Secretariat for Food and Nutritional Security data, over the last ten years, the rate of chronic malnutrition in children under 5 has fallen from 43% (2013) to the current 37% (2023), levels still considered very high when compared to World Health Organisation recommendations.
Groups of civil society organisations in the country have warned of the urgent need to combat child malnutrition in Mozambique, a situation aggravated by climate and security factors.
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