Aid Cuts Impact Community Groups in Northern Mozambique’s Poorest Regions

Northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province is home to community organizations working to improve local conditions despite reductions in international aid. ASMOG, a group in Pemba municipality, collects plastic waste for recycling, addressing environmental concerns in a region that produces about 130 tonnes of plastic monthly.

ASMOG collects roughly ten tonnes, primarily from beaches, as the government does not manage plastic recycling or sales.

Cabo Delgado is one of Mozambique’s poorest areas and has experienced annual cyclones intensified by climate change. Since 2017, an insurgency linked to armed groups has displaced approximately 700,000 people. These factors have increased local needs while international aid has decreased, affecting community organizations’ operations.

A worker for CDD, a democracy and rights-focused organisation, described the impact of aid cuts on their activities, including business cooperatives, legal assistance, and public policy advocacy. The organization recently moved to a smaller office in Pemba due to funding reductions.

Globally, Mozambique is one of the countries most affected by international aid cuts. US funding alone is believed to have been slashed from $820 million in 2024 to $240m last year, with Donald Trump having essentially shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

A resident of the village 25 de Junho in Cabo Delgado noted that aid previously supported healthcare, farming, and food programs, which have since diminished. Despite these challenges, the resident highlighted community efforts to integrate internally displaced people (IDPs), with farmers allocating land to approximately 9,000 IDPs who settled in the village.

This decision was made through the village’s Development Organisation (VDO). The VDO uses a "dream map" to identify community needs and lobbies local government for funding. Since 2000, the Aga Khan Foundation has supported over 100 communities in northern Mozambique to establish VDOs, which start with initial grants and aim for self-sustainability.

While some VDOs face capacity challenges, many continue to function effectively. Another organization, MASC, supports 30 VDOs in the region. A district official described VDOs as an extension of local government efforts.

The director of the UN’s Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund stated that such organizations often maintain close ties to communities, understanding local poverty and exclusion issues, and remain active after external projects conclude. These community groups play a significant role in addressing local needs amid reduced international aid and ongoing regional challenges.