Mozambique: Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan received by Parliament Speaker following Cabo Delgado visit

• Princess Sarah Zeid, Special Adviser to the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator’s Special Initiative on Maternal and Newborn Health in Crisis, recently travelled to Cabo Delgado, visiting Palma, Mocímboa da Praia and Pemba to assess the situation of local communities.

• “I spent my time in Cabo Delgado focusing on the health and well-being of mothers and children,” Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan said.

The United Nations intends to strengthen its support for Mozambique in the areas of health and the well-being of mothers, children and girls, with particular attention to communities affected by the humanitarian crisis in Cabo Delgado province.

The assurance was given on Thursday in Maputo by Her Royal Highness Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan, Special Adviser to the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator’s Special Initiative on Maternal and Newborn Health in Crisis, during a courtesy visit to the Speaker of Parliament, Margarida Adamugi Talapa.

On the occasion, Sarah Zeid expressed her appreciation for the Mozambican Government’s leadership in promoting an integrated approach to health, well-being and the empowerment of young women, reaffirming the United Nations’ commitment to continuing to support national priorities in these areas.

Princess Sarah also highlighted the need to improve coordination of humanitarian interventions, taking into account current financial and climate-related challenges, to ensure that assistance reaches the most vulnerable populations, particularly women, girls, mothers and children.

Explaining the focus of her recent visit to Cabo Delgado, in her capacity of Special Adviser to the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator’s Special Initiative on Maternal and Newborn Health in Crisis, Princess Sarah Zeid said: “I spent my time in Cabo Delgado focusing on the health and well-being of mothers and children.”

The visit comes as Cabo Delgado province continues to face humanitarian challenges resulting from terrorism affecting the region.

For his part, the Speaker of Parliament’s spokesperson, Oriel Chemane, praised the wide-ranging support that the United Nations has provided to Mozambique over the years, particularly in development, humanitarian assistance and responses to emergencies and natural disasters.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Chemane explained that Margarida Talapa had called for stronger cooperation with the United Nations through training and technical and vocational capacity-building programmes, particularly targeting young people, with a view to promoting income generation and creating employment opportunities for the most vulnerable groups.

The parliament’s spokesperson added that the Speaker had also highlighted the existing cooperation between Parliament and the United Nations through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other agencies, involving, among other bodies, the Third Commission, the Parliamentary Women’s Office and the Parliamentary Youth Office.

In this regard, Talapa expressed Parliament’s willingness to continue working with the United Nations on various matters of national interest, with particular emphasis on strengthening MPs’ capacity in legislative matters.

Source: AIM Moçambique