Violence in Mozambique triggers mass displacement as aid falters

A fresh wave of brutal attacks by armed groups in northern Mozambique has displaced at least 46,667 people in late July,compounding an already dire humanitarian crisis in the Cabo Delgado province,UN agencies reported.

The violence,concentrated between 20 and 28 July across Chiúre,Ancuabe,and Muidumbe districts,has driven total displacement this year to over 95,000. Chiúre was the epicenter,with more than 42,000 forced to flee — over half of them children. Families fled from villages such as Nanduli,Mazeze,and Chiúre Velho,seeking shelter in overcrowded areas like Chiúre Sede’s Bairro Micone and Bairro Namicir. The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) noted that displaced families nearly tripled in one week,now including more than 1,200 children. In Muidumbe,militants reportedly torched homes and opened fire,causing nearly 500 families to flee. Humanitarian access remains dangerously limited.

Legal experts warn Mozambique may be failing its obligations under international law,including the Geneva Conventions and the African Union’s Kampala Convention,which mandate protection and aid for internally displaced persons. “The presence of unaccompanied minors and widespread lack of identification in Cabo Delgado underscores the urgent need for the Mozambican government and international partners to step up protection measures,” according to JURISTnews run by the George Washington University Law School in the United States. Despite urgent needs,the UN reports that only 19% of Mozambique’s 2025 humanitarian response plan is funded. Without additional support,the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns thousands risk being left without aid as violence and displacement continue to surge.