Maputo, 10 May (AIM) – The United Nations resident coordinator in Mozambique, Myrta Kaulard, believes that the country’s development can only happen when it has the effective capacity to deal with external crises.
Mozambique, according to Kaulard, who is also UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Mozambique, is exposed to ongoing external crises.
“To maintain development results, it is important to have flexibility, a strong capacity to respond to crises, and this is what the country is developing and we can already see the progress”, she told reporters on Tuesday, in Maputo, minutes after presenting her greetings to President Filipe Nyusi on the termination of her duties in the country.
On climate change, Kaulard reiterated that Mozambique is not responsible for the harmful effects, including cyclones, floods and droughts that annually cause human and material damage to the country’s development.
“We can see the response to cyclone Freddy”, she said, adding that climate change creates enormous costs for the country each year.
The diplomat acknowledged the country’s response to the consequences of climate change, highlighting the rapid response made by the government to mitigate the damaging effects of the cyclones that have affected the country over the past four years.
In February and March 2023, Freddy hit Mozambique twice, with winds of up to 270 kilometres per hour, causing more than 150 deaths and 49,000 displaced persons.
Kaulard also pointed out the reaction given by the Mozambican government to stop the action of terrorists in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
Progress against terrorism, according to Kaulard, must go hand in hand with creating job opportunities, and education, as well as increasing the availability of basic services for the population.
“What we see as the United Nations is that we have a good foundation to be able to continue this progress”, she said.
Kaulard also stressed the rapid and effective response the country provided to stem the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UN resident coordinator said that, during her four year term, she formulated a framework for cooperation between the government and the UN, which began in 2022 and is expected to end in 2026, focused on four main areas, namely human development, economic diversification, climate resilience, and human rights and good governance.
“These are the four elements from which we can identify the priorities for collaboration”, Kaulard said.
(AIM)
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