Thousands Displaced in Northern Mozambique as Armed Attacks Escalate

Edited  By: Widad WAHBI

Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in northern Mozambique following a surge in attacks by armed groups, intensifying the already severe humanitarian crisis in the Cabo Delgado province.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), violence between July 20 and 28 displaced at least 46,667 individuals across the districts of Chiúre, Ancuabe, and Muidumbe. Since the start of 2025, over 95,000 people have fled insecurity in the region, with humanitarian access becoming increasingly fragile.

Aid organizations report a troubling rise in the number of unaccompanied and separated children. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) noted that in just one week, the number of displaced households nearly tripled, reaching 444 families — about 1,946 people — including more than 1,200 children.

The latest wave of violence has struck multiple villages. In Nanduli, residents sought refuge in Chiote and Ancuabe Sede. In Muidumbe district, insurgents reportedly burned homes in Magaia and opened fire near Mungue, prompting nearly 500 families to flee to displacement sites where humanitarian access is limited or nonexistent.

Mozambique has been grappling with an Islamist insurgency in Cabo Delgado since 2017. Government forces, supported by troops from Rwanda, South Africa, and other regional allies, have struggled to contain the violence. In 2020, militants shocked the world with brutal attacks that included mass beheadings — even of children.

Witnesses say that some of the children abducted during these assaults have since been used as fighters in subsequent attacks.

According to the UN, more than 600,000 people have been displaced since the beginning of the insurgency, with violence now spilling into neighboring provinces, further destabilizing the region and stretching humanitarian resources to the limit.