FAO challenges mozambican minister's claim of three daily meals per person

According to the FAO report, between May and September, around 2.6 million people in Mozambique were in a situation of acute food insecurity and in need of urgent assistance. Furthermore, the report projects that from October 2023 to March 2024, approximately

3.3 million Mozambicans will face acute or worse food insecurity, corresponding to phase 3 of the FAO's Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, including 220,000 people in the emergency phase 4.

The report also highlights that 21% of the population in districts most affected by climate shocks and terrorist attacks in 2023 are in a critical situation. Notably, the province of Cabo Delgado, which has been the scene of terrorist attacks since 2017 resulting in over a million displaced people, is facing a food insecurity crisis, with 863,000 people (32% of the province's total population) in acute food insecurity from October 2023 to March 2024.

In addition, in the south and center of the country, the need for food assistance is linked to the depletion of food reserves and the impact of the El Niño climate phenomenon. As a response, FAO is providing high-quality certified seeds to farmers, aiming to partially reduce the risk of food insecurity in the most vulnerable regions.

Celso Correia's statements about three daily meals were questioned by the opposition in parliament, accusing the minister of basing his claims on inconsistent reports. The government later clarified that the statements were based on a post-harvest survey conducted during a period of food stock availability, not representing the reality throughout the entire year.

Analysts criticize the reliability of such surveys to support government statements, arguing that the sample used is not comprehensive enough to draw general conclusions about food security in the country.