A fresh surge of violence by armed groups in northern Mozambique has forced over 46,000 people to flee their homes in just one week, deepening the humanitarian crisis in the conflict-hit Cabo Delgado province, according to the United Nations. Between July 20 and 28, coordinated assaults in Chiúre, Ancuabe, and Muidumbe districts led to the mass displacement of civilians, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a new update. Entire villages, including Nanduli and Magaia, were attacked—homes torched and civilians forced to escape gunfire—prompting thousands to seek shelter in overcrowded displacement camps like Chiote and Ancuabe Sede.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that the number of displaced households nearly tripled within a week, reaching 444 families (1,946 people), of which more than 1,200 are children. Alarmingly, a growing number of unaccompanied or separated children has been recorded, raising concerns about child protection amid the crisis. Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado region has been gripped by a violent Islamist insurgency since 2017, led by militants affiliated with the Islamic State group. The insurgents have previously carried out brutal attacks, including beheadings and the use of abducted children as fighters.
Despite military assistance from Rwanda, South Africa, and other regional forces, the Mozambican government has struggled to regain full control of the province. More than 600,000 people have been displaced since the insurgency began, and the violence has now started to spill into neighboring provinces. Humanitarian agencies are warning that access to affected communities is becoming increasingly difficult, with aid supplies stretched thin and insecurity preventing timely delivery of food, water, and medical care. As the conflict escalates, the UN is calling for increased international support to assist the displaced and prevent further deterioration of the crisis.
