Maputo, 17 Jun (AIM) – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced that the jihadist raids in various districts of the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado have forced the displacement of 20,875 people, since early May.
In its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), the IOM reveals that the districts worst hit by this latest wave of instability include Ancuabe, Chiúre, Namuno, Metuge, Mocímboa da Praia, and Montepuez and “all the affected households are facing consecutive displacements, having already been forced to flee on previous occasions since the humanitarian crisis began in 2017.”
The current influx originated from attacks recorded in Ancuabe during April, before intensifying and expanding to other districts in May.
According to the organization, the highest concentrations of displaced people are currently in Nanjua A and B, in Ancuabe district, hosting around 5,206 people, followed by Namanhumbir Sede, Montepuez district, with 4,215, and Maningane Centro, Chiúre district, with approximately 1,877 people.
The constant arrival of fleeing families is causing severe overcrowding at displacement sites and within host communities, putting heavy pressure on basic shelter, water, sanitation, and health services.
“The situation is worsening protection risks, leading to family separations, the loss of civil documentation, and gender-based violence, primarily affecting women, children, and the elderly”, reads the report.
The delivery of humanitarian assistance faces severe operational obstacles due to ongoing insecurity across the province. Sporadic attacks and security incidents along vital road corridors have caused temporary traffic disruptions and delays in aid delivery.
Furthermore, the dispersion of displaced people across various host communities complicates beneficiary registration and aid coordination.
“In response, the IOM and its partners are calling for an urgent injection of financial and logistical resources to prevent thousands of families from remaining deprived of essential goods and healthcare”, says the organization.
The independent conflict registration project ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project) had warned that terrorist activity tended to intensify last April, especially in villages in the districts of Macomia (Litandacua) and Muidumbe (Miangaleua).
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), since the conflict erupted in 2017, over 6,000 people have been killed.
(AIM)
ZT/Am/
