UN Calls for Help as 300,000 Flee in Mozambique

The United Nations has expressed grave concern over the security situation in northern Mozambique. A surge in violence has forced approximately 300,000 civilians to flee their homes in recent months.

The region, particularly Cabo Delgado province, remains unstable due to a jihadist insurgency. This conflict has claimed over 6,200 lives since it began.

Furthermore, the violence is now spilling over into the neighboring Nampula province. This expansion is creating a widening humanitarian emergency.

A Rapid Escalation

Data indicates a sharp spike in displacement. Nearly 100,000 people have abandoned their homes in the last two weeks alone.

Xavier Creach, a representative for the refugee agency, spoke to reporters in Geneva. He emphasized that the situation on the ground is likely worse than the data suggests.

Official registries document a minimum of 287,000 newly displaced persons over the last three months. However, Creach noted that “many more” individual cases remain unrecorded.

“I think we can talk approximately of a minimum of 300,000 displaced over there since July,” Creach stated.

Humanitarian Response Stretched

Aid operations face significant hurdles as the security landscape shifts. Officials have observed intensifying attacks on villages. Additionally, the conflict is rapidly expanding into districts that were previously considered safe.

This volatility makes the delivery of essential humanitarian aid increasingly difficult. Creach described the current needs in the region as “very challenging.” He also warned that the existing response is “largely insufficient.”

The UN body stressed that humanitarian actors cannot sustain relief efforts without additional resources. Consequently, they issued a call for “urgent international support” to address the crisis.

Since the conflict erupted in 2017, more than 1.3 million people across Mozambique have been displaced.

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