More than 50,000 people have been displaced in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province in recent weeks following a new wave of terrorist attacks, the largest displacement since February and deepening an already dire humanitarian situation.
According to medical charity Doctors Without Borders, entire families, including children, pregnant women and the elderly, have fled their homes, trekking for days to reach makeshift camps in Chiure town.
“Official figures estimate that more than 50,000 people have been displaced,” the charity said on Friday.
Many now live in overcrowded shelters with limited access to food, clean water and medical care, it said.
Doctors Without Borders head of operations in Mozambique, Sebastian Traficante said there is high risk of an even greater humanitarian disaster in the affected areas unless urgent action is taken to assist both displaced families and host communities.
“This crisis cannot remain invisible. The impact of violence shouldn’t be normalised. More lives will be at risk and the health and dignity of thousands will continue to deteriorate,” Traficante said.
“People need a coordinated, long-term humanitarian commitment that guarantees access to healthcare and basic services for all.”
The latest violence is part of an ongoing insurgency that began in 2017 led by Islamist militants seeking to establish an Islamic state in the region.
The group, known locally as Ansar al-Sunna and linked to the Islamic State’s Central Africa Province, has targeted civilians, destroyed infrastructure and disrupted livelihoods across Cabo Delgado.
The conflict has killed several thousands and displaced more than one million since its onset.
Doctors Without Border launched an emergency response on 31 July, supporting two resettlement centres in Namicir and Micone.
The situation is compounded by recent international funding cuts, which have forced several humanitarian organisations to scale back operations.
Of the 16 health centres in the region, only six remain functional after others were destroyed by conflict or extreme weather events such as Cyclone Chido that struck in December 2024.
JN/APA