Mozambique

While Mozambican security forces have been the main target of the insurgency, since 2018 civilians have also been targeted, triggering massive population displacements.

The violence caused by the conflict, combined with climatic shocks – primarily the increase in the frequency of cyclones – continues to displace residents and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the northern regions of the country, which were already among the poorest before the conflict. In December 2020, before the capture of the city of Palma by the insurgents, more than 670,000 people had already been displaced in the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Niassa and Zambezia.

Cholera cases have increased in Cabo Delgado, particularly affecting displaced people, with serious disruptions to basic social services, as well as health, water, sanitation and hygiene resources. The conflict led to the destruction (or interruption of services) of 36% of health facilities in the province, and by the end of 2020, there were no longer functional clinics in the districts most affected by the conflict (such as Mocimboa da Praia, Macomia, Muidumbe and Quissanga). However, the situation is changing very quickly, particularly with the recent resumption of control of these areas by the Mozambican security forces and their allies. The COVID-19 epidemic continues to strain the country’s fragile health system, and there is extremely limited access to water, sanitation and hygiene resources.

During the last quarter of 2020, more than 2.7 million people experienced severe acute food insecurity in Mozambique, including at least 840,000 in the regions of Cabo Delgado, Niassa, and Nampula alone.

The volatility of the situation and the increase in violence has also had an impact on humanitarian access. Despite growing needs, particularly in the northern districts of Cabo Delgado, humanitarian organizations have faced extraordinary challenges, , infrastructure, and administrative obstacles.