Tapping Sustainable Market for Clean Energy Solutions in Displaced Communities in Beira, Mozambique

IOM 2023 / Amanda Nero

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with NORCAP and with support from Innovation Norway, have embarked on a groundbreaking initiative to establish a sustainable market for clean energy in displacement settings in Mozambique. This transformative project seeks to address the barriers hindering access to essential energy services for displaced populations while also tackling obstacles faced by private actors in entering this overlooked market. In areas where people have been forced to leave their homes, the lack of access to electricity and to alternative to traditional cooking fuel, significantly affects the lives of internally displaced persons (IDPs), leading to increased hardship and risks of gender-based violence. The scarcity of traditional cooking fuel forces women to travel long distances to collect firewood, increasing the risks of assault. In addition, inadequate lighting around the area where IDPs live, makes people feel unsafe at night to walk around and use community services, such as markets and communal latrines. This situation poses a threat to the environmental ecosystem and can also lead to strained relationships with host communities due to increased competition for limited resources and a perceived burden on local infrastructure and services. Despite the humanitarian sector's recognition of sustainable energy access as a priority, according to the State of the Humanitarian Energy Sector Report (2022) approximately 94% of displace