The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that 107 000 people have fled their homes in recent weeks, bringing total displacement over the past four months to 330 000. The conflict, combined with repeated climate shocks, has now displaced more than 600 000 people since 2017.
Paola Emerson, OCHA Head of Office in Mozambique, said families have been forced to flee repeatedly as violence intensifies. She described attacks occurring over multiple weeks, displacing the same communities several times. This stands in contrast to the hit-and-run tactics that characterised earlier violence in Cabo Delgado when the conflict first erupted in 2017.
Emerson warned that the latest wave of attacks is hitting communities already weakened by three cyclones earlier this year. Children account for 67% of those newly displaced, raising serious protection concerns. Reports of gender-based violence and children becoming separated or unaccompanied are increasing.
Most families are now sheltering in overcrowded host communities, damaged schools and open areas, with several districts reporting disrupted examinations as classrooms become makeshift accommodation. Aid distribution remains far below requirements, with only about 40% of people receiving limited food assistance amid severe stock shortages.
OCHA cautions that gaps in assistance are already forcing some families to return to insecure areas without clear information about whether conditions have improved.
UN agencies have issued repeated alerts over the past week as conditions deteriorate. The UN refugee agency reports testimonies of nighttime assaults, burned homes and summary executions, including beheadings, as armed groups push deeper into previously unaffected districts. It also warns of severe funding shortages hampering the humanitarian response.
The UN Children’s Fund has described “staggering” levels of displacement and a sharp rise in grave violations against children, including abductions and recruitment. Essential services such as health, education, water supply and child protection are under immense pressure, with the cyclone season expected to intensify risk in the coming weeks.
Humanitarian partners are calling for urgent funding to prevent further deterioration, warning that without swift support, the crisis will worsen and potentially force families into repeated cycles of displacement.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
