| Overview : The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mozambique comes in a context of already pervasive vulnerabilities afflicting the country. These include high levels of chronic poverty, widespread malnutrition, weak health, education and social protection systems, limited employment and, more generally, income generation opportunities, enhanced exposure to climate change impacts or important gender disparities, among others. In addition, protracted violence and armed conflict afflicts several parts of the country, such as Cabo Delgado, where over the past few years an Islamist armed insurgency has taken root, or Sofala and Zambezia provinces, where the RENAMO guerrilla remains operational. Against this background, the UNDP country office in Mozambique intends to undertake a series of human impact assessments (HIA) to shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting Mozambique in a context of pervasive socioeconomic and environmental vulnerabilities. With these assessments seeks to inform both policy responses to COVID-19 at national and provincial level, as well as its own programmatic activities in Mozambique. These assessments will be conducted in selected provinces in Mozambique, namely Sofala, Cabo Delgado and Maputo Province, where UNDP is currently implementing part of its country programme. Each of these provinces offer distinctive vulnerability features that can help enrich the understanding of how COVID-19 is impacting Mozambique, while providing a localized assessment of how the pandemic is affecting these regions. |
