Escalating violence in northern Mozambique leading to new wave of displacements, UNHCR warns

The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR says it’s concerned about the “rapid rise” in the number of displaced people in northern Mozambique.  

Since the start of the year, violence in the southern African country has displaced 100,000 people, the agency says, as conflict in the Cabo Delgado province enters its ninth year. Since 2017, more than 1.3 million people have been forced to flee the area due to an ongoing Islamist insurgency.  

At the end of September, nearly 22,000 people were displaced in a single week - the largest recorded displacement this year.  

All 17 districts of Cabo Delgado are affected. Simultaneous attacks across the province have sown fear across the province, with reports of killings, abductions and sexual violence. There are also reports of children being forcibly recruited by armed groups operating in the area.  

The deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation is taking place amid massive budget cuts. A $352 million appeal launched by UNHCR has received less than a fifth of its target. The agency is calling on the international community to renew its support for Mozambique.