Africa-Press – Mozambique. The governments of Italy and Ukraine have donated various food products worth 2.1 million US dollars to support the victims of Islamist terrorism in the northern Mozambican provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula.
The donation, which will be implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP), is part of the “Grain from Ukraine” initiative, aimed at preventing famine in African and Asian countries facing high levels of food insecurity by providing food produced in Ukraine.
According to Gabriele Annis, Italian ambassador to Mozambique, speaking to reporters on Thursday during the donation ceremony, essential goods such as peas and vegetable oil have already arrived at the Port of Nacala, in the northern province of Nampula, from the Port of Odessa, in Ukraine.
“These products are currently stored in WFP facilities for later distribution in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula, in support of families displaced by armed attacks. It is particularly unusual that a country involved in a war defending its territory does not forget to help others”, he said.
The ambassador explained that Italy promptly supported the “Grain from Ukraine” initiative, with a total contribution of four million Euros, of which 2.1 million dollars were channeled to WFP operations in northern Mozambique. “This support resulted in the supply of 523 metric tons of dried peas and 415 metric tons of vegetable oil, benefiting 446,004 people”, he said.
For his part, the Ukrainian ambassador to Mozambique, Rostyslav Tronenko, revealed that her country has already mobilized 370 million dollars and enabled the shipment of 320,000 tons of agricultural products to 18 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, benefiting approximately 20 million people.
“As confirmed at the Fourth International Summit on Food Security, held on November 19, 2025 in Kyiv, we are ready to continue implementing humanitarian initiatives, ensuring the uninterrupted supply of essential foods to the African continent”, he stated.
The WFP Country Director, Claire Conan, acknowledged Italy’s contribution to humanitarian operations in Mozambique and highlighted Ukraine’s leadership in boosting the initiative.
“Humanitarian needs in the country continue to increase while funding decreases.
In 2025, the WFP received less than half of the resources needed to respond to this growing vulnerability”, she said.
Conan also said that in the context of the floods that affected the country, the WFP provided food to the country’s relief agency, the National Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (INGD), allowing the authorities to assist more than 75,000 displaced people through community kitchens in accommodation centers,” she said.
