MAPUTO – The United Nations has raised concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in northern Mozambique, where thousands of civilians continue to flee deadly insurgent attacks in Cabo Delgado province.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) described the escalating violence as an “invisible crisis,” saying that more than 100,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes since January. Nearly 22,000 of them fled within a single week in late September, according to figures released on Tuesday.
UNHCR’s Mozambique representative, Xavier Creach, speaking from the port city of Pemba, said civilians are now being directly targeted in the ongoing conflict. “What we have witnessed over the last two weeks is extraordinary human suffering,” he said.
Creach reported that attacks by insurgents linked to the Islamic State group have intensified, including a recent assault on the key port town of Mocímboa da Praia, where troops clashed with militants and civilians were beheaded.
He said the violence has caused severe psychological trauma among survivors, with growing reports of forced child recruitment and sexual violence.
Data from the UNHCR shows that more than 500 security incidents affecting civilians have been recorded this year, making it the deadliest period since the insurgency began in 2017. Many of the newly displaced people had already been uprooted before, with 89 percent fleeing for a second or third time.
“After years of uncertainty, families are reaching their limit,” Creach said, adding that some remain in dangerous areas because they have nowhere else to go.
Since the start of the conflict, more than 1.3 million people have been displaced across northern Mozambique. The humanitarian response has also been hindered, as 22 aid organisations have closed operations in Cabo Delgado due to insecurity.
Creach described the situation as desperate, warning that the crisis is slipping further from international attention.
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