Maputo, 9 Jul (AIM) – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has recorded, over the last month, a worsening humanitarian crisis caused by funding shortages, natural disasters and escalating armed violence in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.
“Escalation of violence by Non-State Armed Groups (NSAG) continued to drive displacement, disrupt essential services, severely restrict movement, exacerbate food insecurity, and enable the delivery of life-saving assistance”, reads the report.
According to the document, “on 24 June, 568 individuals, including 324 children, fled NSAG attacks in Quinto Congresso village towards the already overcrowded Macomia district headquarters”, bringing “the total number of people displaced by conflict to 48,000 since 1 January”.
The new movements of extremists in northern Mozambique also include Niassa, the province bordering on Cabo Delgado, where they have caused at least two deaths: the extremists beheaded two forest rangers.
The report acknowledges that the Mozambican government has facilitated returns in Macomia, Metuge, and Montepuez in Cabo Delgado, and recently in Mecula, Niassa, “largely driven by inadequate humanitarian assistance and overcrowding in sites for internally displaced people”.
“The returnees found nothing in their areas of origin as their homes, agricultural plots and livelihoods were destroyed and basic services have not been restored. Those who opted for resettlement found the proposed sites lacking in essential services. The lack of response to returns heightens vulnerabilities and protection risks”, reads the document.
The organization also pointed to persistent “post-cyclone needs and gaps” as a major challenge. “With funding constraints, people affected by the three recent cyclones, which, in addition to destroying thousands of homes and infrastructure, caused around 175 deaths in the north and centre of the country, still require adequate assistance.”
“The first assessments conducted since March in Lalaua and Muecate districts in Nampula revealed that a combined 70,000 people were affected by the cyclones but have not received assistance since March”, the OCHA report added.
(AIM)
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