A fresh wave of armed attacks in northern Mozambique has displaced more than 46,000 people in just eight days, deepening an already critical humanitarian crisis in Cabo Delgado Province, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The violence, concentrated between July 20 and 28, affected the districts of Chiúre, Ancuabe, and Muidumbe, forcing families to flee amid gunfire, arson, and widespread insecurity.

The district of Chiúre was hardest hit, with over 42,000 people uprooted, more than half of them children. In Ancuabe, the number of displaced families nearly tripled in one week, reaching 444 households—including 1,200 children—as residents of Nanduli village sought refuge in Chiote and Ancuabe Sede.

In Muidumbe, fighters reportedly torched homes in Magaia village and opened fire near Mungue, prompting nearly 500 families to flee to displacement sites where humanitarian access remains severely limited.

Since January, over 95,000 people have fled violence in Cabo Delgado, adding to the more than 600,000 displaced since the insurgency began in 2017.

The Islamist militants—linked to the Islamic State’s Central Africa Province—have been accused of beheadings, child abductions, and forced recruitment, including the use of children as combatants.

Mozambique’s government has struggled to contain the insurgency, relying on military support from Rwanda, South Africa, and other regional partners. Despite joint operations, the militants continue to exploit security gaps, targeting rural communities and disrupting humanitarian aid delivery.

The UN warns that humanitarian access is increasingly fragile, with displaced populations lacking civil documentation, shelter, and basic services. Aid agencies report a surge in unaccompanied and separated children, raising protection concerns amid overcrowded conditions in displacement camps.

Funding shortfalls have further strained the response. As of July, only 19% of Mozambique’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan has been funded, forcing agencies to reduce their target population from 1.1 million to 317,000.

The crisis in Cabo Delgado is compounded by overlapping emergencies, including climate shocks, disease outbreaks, and economic instability, making it one of the most complex humanitarian challenges in southern Africa today.

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