The United Nations announced on Friday that a new surge of escalating violence in northern Mozambique has displaced more than 107,000 people over the past two weeks, amid a rapid decline in food supplies and humanitarian assistance.
Since the beginning of the year, armed groups have expanded their operations in northern regions, attacking areas previously considered safe and pushing beyond the gas-rich Cabo Delgado province into Nampula and Niassa. Since 2017, the violence has displaced more than 1.3 million people.
According to UN data, around 107,000 people fled their homes in the city of Nampula alone due to the widening scope of violence, while the total number of displaced people over the past four months reached 330,000.
UNICEF also reported renewed violence in Palma, Cabo Delgado, for the first time since 2021, citing killings of civilians and attacks targeting security forces.
With displacement expanding, OCHA warned that food and medical supplies are running out; only 40% of displaced people have received food assistance sufficient for two weeks.
OCHA’s representative, Imerson, stressed that this level of support is “completely insufficient,” noting that shortages are forcing some families to return to unsafe areas despite ongoing security threats.