Coping with the Risks of Conflict, Climate and Internal Displacement in Northern Mozambique: ‘We Can’t Just Sit Here with Our Arms Crossed’
Publisher: Overseas Development Institute
Author(s): Caitlin Sturridge, João Feijó, and Nelson Tivane
Date: 2022
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Causes, Gender, Governance, Humanitarian Assistance, Renewable Resources
Countries: Mozambique
Displacement brings trauma and suffering, as well as destabilising changes to people’s physical surroundings, social networks, livelihood opportunities and local governance structures (Turner, 2010). These circumstances are exemplified in Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique (see Figure 1). Nearly one million people have been displaced from their homes, with most now living informally alongside local residents – often friends and family, but also strangers.1 Limited livelihood opportunities and humanitarian assistance make life a daily struggle for survival characterised by grave protection risks, food insecurity, precarious shelter and ongoing psychosocial trauma.
This paper is part of a two-year, multi-country research project that seeks to build evidence and
raise awareness of the myriad ways in which urban IDPs respond to climate change, conflict and displacement. By mapping the range of strategies that IDPs employ, and analysing the obstacles, challenges and opportunities that these present for their protection and wellbeing, the research aims to create an entry point for actors at local, national and international levels to support communities affected by displacement in ways that reflect their experiences, preferences and aspirations. While humanitarian assistance provides a critical lifeline for these groups, the strategies that affected people are themselves able to deploy can be a critical determinant of their survival and recovery.