Mozambique: IOM Deputy Director Urges Long-Term Solutions for Climate-Displaced Communities
Written By Maxine Ansah
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On a three-day visit to Mozambique, the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Deputy Director General for Operations, Ugochi Daniels, called for increased, sustained development financing to support communities displaced by climate change. Her visit, which concluded last week, highlighted the urgent need for long-term, community-driven solutions to recurring climate shocks in one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
Mozambique has seen a sharp increase in climate-induced displacement. According to the Global Climate Risk Index, the country ranks among the top 20 most exposed to natural disasters. Over the past five years, more than 140,000 people have been displaced due to events such as cyclones, flooding, and drought. The past six months alone saw another 10,000 displaced due to a worsening drought, exacerbated by El Niño conditions and widespread food insecurity.
“Recovery must go beyond short-term fixes,” said Daniels in Beira, a coastal city devastated by past cyclones and a key site in the country’s post-disaster recovery. “In Beira, I met women and local leaders who are not only rebuilding homes but reshaping futures. They reminded me that the most sustainable solutions are those driven by the communities themselves solutions rooted in dignity, knowledge, and local leadership.”
The visit included meetings with disaster survivors, local community leaders, and high-level government officials, including Luisa Celma Caetano Meque, President of Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD), as well as United Nations Resident Coordinator Catherine Sozi and key donors.
Daniels toured neighbourhoods where IOM is working under the Cyclone Idai and Kenneth Emergency Recovery and Resilience Project (CERRP). The initiative, funded by the World Bank and coordinated by the government’s Post-Cyclone Reconstruction Office (GREPOC), is focused on rebuilding more than 6,000 homes destroyed by the devastating 2019 cyclones. It exemplifies the “Build Back Safer” approach, integrating disaster-resilient construction methods, local materials, and environmental safeguards to support long-term resilience.
“This is not just about bricks and mortar,” said Dr. Laura Tomm-Bonde, IOM Mozambique’s Chief of Mission. “Recovery is not something done to communities it’s something we do with them, and ultimately something they lead.”
A key component of the project is the training of local artisans in resilient construction techniques. This dual-purpose strategy not only ensures the durability of homes but also fosters local employment and skills development. Through partnerships with organizations like UN-Habitat and Dora Construções, the project merges technical expertise with community wisdom, empowering residents to play a leading role in recovery efforts.
In recent months, Mozambique has faced the brunt of several cyclones Chido, Dikeledi, and Jude which collectively affected over one million people. As climate change continues to drive extreme weather patterns, Mozambique’s experience is becoming a case study for how international support and national leadership can coalesce to create resilient, community-centred solutions.
The work being done in Beira is a direct reflection of the UN’s Solutions Agenda, which promotes development-focused, durable responses to displacement and builds toward self-reliance, inclusion, and resilience for vulnerable populations. It’s a reminder that behind every house rebuilt is a community reclaiming its future.
