Mozambique Violence Displaces Thousands Amid Fresh Attacks

A child whose family fled violence in northern Mozambique rests at a site for displaced people.

“They live in community shelters, in overcrowded classrooms,” the UN refugee agency’s (UNHCR) representative in Mozambique said on Tuesday, highlighting the plight of thousands searching for safety.

The agency reports that nearly 100,000 people have been newly displaced in the past two weeks alone, following intensified attacks on villages and a rapid spillover of violence into previously safe districts.

Speaking from conflict-hit Erati in northern Mozambique, Xavier Creach expressed concern over the attacks and the inability to respond adequately.

“These simultaneous attacks in several districts are creating a huge challenge for humanitarian actors who must multiply emergency responses across different areas of the country,” he said.

“Regretfully, we lack resources,” he added.

Homes Burned, Villages Attacked

The violence, which began in 2017 in the country’s northernmost province, Cabo Delgado, has already displaced more than 1.3 million people.

It has spread this year beyond the province into Nampula, threatening communities that had previously hosted displaced families, according to UNHCR.

People arriving in safer areas say they fled in fear as armed groups stormed their villages—often at night—burning homes, attacking civilians, and forcing families to run without their belongings or documents.

“Civilians were killed; some were even beheaded,” Mr Creach said. “People had to flee at night in the most chaotic manner.”

The sudden influx of displaced people into Nampula Province is placing heavy pressure on already fragile host communities, which also face insecurity. Schools, churches and open spaces are now crowded with newly arrived families.

Running Out of Resources

This is the fourth massive influx northern Mozambique has faced in recent months, Mr Creach said.

“The response is insufficient,” he stressed. “People need assistance. They need food, shelter, water and support, and they arrive traumatised.”

UNHCR will require $38.2 million in 2026 to meet rising needs across northern Mozambique. This comes at a deeply concerning time, with 2025 funding standing at only 50 per cent of requirements.

Mr Creach said that on Tuesday morning, agency staff witnessed people returning to unsafe areas—not to rebuild their lives, but because of the lack of support and overcrowded shelters.

“They felt they couldn’t stay any longer and had no option but to return,” he said.