Already one of the world's poorest countries, the war brought farming to a standstill and destroyed schools, health centres and most other facilities. Violence, torture and summary executions were commonplace. More than a third of the 17 million population fled their homes either to remote parts of Mozambique or into the neighbouring countries of Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Swaziland.

It wasn't until October 1992 that a peace treaty was signed and the civil war ended, leaving behind a decimated country where families had fought each other. A UN peace-keeping force was sent to Mozambique and UNHCR began a programme of repatriation.

Fonte Boa: returnees from Malawi rebuilding homes

In the first two years after the peace treaty was signed 1.7 million people returned from exile. Over 4 million internally displaced people also returned home, persuaded that it was now safe to do so even though there was little to return to - no food or water, no roads, houses or schools. Fortunately, many of the families who had fled had managed to stay together or were quickly reunited, so there were few orphaned children. There also seemed to be a willingness to forget the past fighting and get on with rebuilding. An abundance of land and two good rainy seasons helped kick-start agricultural production. The Government played its part by a more liberal approach, attracting foreign investments from a number of Western donor countries as they sought to rebuild trade and infrastructure.

UNHCR started an ambitious help project to try to speed up reintegration and rebuilding. It:

• held discussions with the government and a range of NGOs
• set up 1,500 QIPs (Quick Impact Projects)
• allocated a total of $100 million on QIPs
• most individual projects costing less than $40,000
• used the money to buy food, seeds, tools and building materials
• constructed and repaired wells, roads, schools and health centres
• cleared mines

Refugees loading onto buses to return to Maputo

Some QIPs in Mozambique were not completed by the time UNHCR withdrew and handed them over in 1996. About 50% of the QIPs have been successful, including the provision of water pumps, health centres and schools.

UNHCR's reintegration strategy was criticised by some NGOs. They felt that some of the QIPs had not been properly assessed, and that UNHCR were ignoring their expertise and experience in Mozambique. However, UNHCR regard their reintegration programme in Mozambique as one of their most successful ever. Some people think that much of this would have happened anyway, others disagree. It has helped people ask important questions about reintegration, and what lessons can be learned and applied to other refugee crises. A common problem is knowing when to withdraw help and support, and what happens to individual projects when they are handed over.