A renewed wave of Islamist militant attacks in northern Mozambique has displaced nearly 60,000 people in just two weeks, overwhelming humanitarian operations and exposing critical aid shortfalls, according to UN agencies.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said in a statement on Wednesday that escalating attacks that began on 20 July had displaced 57,034 people or 13,343 families.
It said Chiúre was the hardest hit, with more than 42,000 people uprooted – over half of them children.
In a separate statement, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said attacks by armed groups between 20 and 28 July triggered the displacement of at least 46,667 people across the districts of Chiúre, Ancuabe and Muidumbe.
“Insecurity persists and people on the move often lack civil documentation,” OCHA said.
“These challenges may impact the ability of displaced people to move freely, safely access basic services and maintain their livelihoods,” OCHA said.
OCHA country representative Paola Emerson bemoaned the lack of humanitarian support for affected families in Cabo Delgado province, noting that the response “is not yet at the scale to meet growing needs” in the province.
She warned that cuts in international aid, including reductions by the United States and other donors, are severely hampering relief efforts.
Mozambique’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan has received only 19 percent of the requested funding, forcing agencies to scale back operations.
So far, only 30,000 displaced people have received emergency food, water, shelter and household items.
The attacks are part of an eight-year insurgency in Cabo Delgado province where fighters linked to the Islamic State have targeted villages, burned homes and forced mass evacuations.
Since the insurgency began in 2017, more than 6,100 people have been killed and over one million displaced, according to conflict trackers.
The group behind the violence, known locally as al-Shabab (unrelated to the Somali group), has also been accused of abducting children for use as fighters or labourers.
The conflict has disrupted major economic projects, including a $20 billion liquefied natural gas venture by TotalEnergies, which remains suspended due to insecurity.
Despite the deployment of Rwandan forces in 2021, recent attacks have exposed the fragility of gains made in stabilising the region.
JN/APA