Nandimba Displacement Site, Mueda District, Cabo Delgado

Justina Josefo peels sweet potato, her grandchildren playing nearby with a makeshift toy fashioned from a bicycle wheel. Her thoughts drift to 2021, when armed groups turned her village upside down, forcing her family to flee Tingine, Nangade District. “I remember telling my children over the phone to run and hide,” Justina recalls. "My husband Calton and I were separated from them. I promised we'd find each other again, but I wasn't sure we would." Days of anguish followed until their reunion.

The armed groups devastated Tingine over three days, destroying homes, vehicles, and crops. They also claimed lives, including one of Justina's relatives. Fleeing to Mueda District, they found refuge at the Nandimba displacement site. “When we arrived, we had nothing left except each other,” Justina says. Now living with their five daughters, some with families of their own, their worries persist for their two sons who returned to Nangade, believing it to be safe. 

In Tingine, they had a large farm where they grew crops for consumption and sale. But in Nandimba, space for cultivation is limited. Calton, now 72, collects firewood to sell, despite the physical strain. “Is tough, and I'm tired,” he says, “but we need to eat.”

In February, 2024, The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) turned to the IOM-managed Common NFI Pipeline to distribute shelter and household items to families in vulnerable situations at the site, such as elders, pregnant women, etc. Justina and Calton received kits with tarpaulins, mosquito nets, kitchen supplies, and tools to build a new home and rehabilitate the old, rain-damaged one. NRC also provided them with financial assistance to buy more building materials. “The support changed our lives. Our home was unsafe and leaked during rains, but now we have a secure roof,” Calton explains. “We used to suffer from malaria frequently, but now our health has improved,” adds Justina. 

Despite missing their life in Nangade, they hesitate to return. “We feel safe here and are slowly rebuilding our lives,” they say. They have integrated into the community, enjoying traditional music and dance with their Makonde neighbours. “We are saving to start a small shop to support ourselves,” Justina shares.

Since 2021, more than 106,900 families have received critical support through the NFI Common Pipeline following violence or displacement in Cabo Delgado. This assistance is pivotal in helping displaced families recover and rebuild, whether by repairing their homes or facilitating swift resettlement. Their resilience underscores an unwavering determination to persevere despite daunting challenges, and this support acts as a beacon of hope, ensuring these families can reconstruct their lives and flourish amidst adversity. 

The NFI Common Pipeline is supported by the USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO), Irish Aid, the Embassy of Norway in Mozambique, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Recently, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) bolstered the Pipeline by donating essential supplies to assist a further 24,000 families in need.