Maputo, 12 Aug (AIM) – Over 400 minors were recruited by armed groups in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado in 2024, according to a report carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Health Cluster.
According to a Public Health Situation Analysis (PHSA), which aggregates data from official sources, 71 girls were recruited, while others were abducted. By the end of 2025, 30 of the Cabo Delgado’s 150 health facilities had been completely destroyed, while several humanitarian partners suspended operations due to insecurity and access challenges.
The document points out that Mozambique is among the five countries experiencing the sharpest rise in grave violations against children, with such incidents increasing by 525 percent in 2024. “Children in Cabo Delgado face grave violations, including abductions and recruitment by non-state armed groups. These abuses not only rob children of their safety and dignity but also leave deep psychological trauma.”
The report warns that, nearly nine years after the onset of the armed insurgency in Cabo Delgado, led by groups linked to the Islamic State, humanitarian needs remain high. Currently, approximately 1.1 million people need humanitarian assistance in northern Mozambique, including 919,000 residents in the districts of that gas-rich province most affected by the conflict.
According to the report, last June alone, at least 12,174 people were forced to flee their homes due to violence, bringing the total number of newly displaced persons since the beginning of the year to 26,184. These movements occurred primarily within the districts themselves or to neighboring districts in Cabo Delgado.
“In total, northern Mozambique is currently hosting 506,214 internally displaced persons, a 9 percent increase from the previous year. It reflects the worsening insecurity. Women and children accounted for 79 percent of those displaced in June. Over 715,000 people have returned to their areas of origin, although many remain dependent on humanitarian aid due to limited access to agricultural land and the disruption of basic services”, reads the document.
The report adds that “almost all displaced families have fled multiple times, which means that there is persistence of the humanitarian crisis and the inability of many communities to safely return to their home areas.”
The document also highlights concerns regarding family separation, gender-based violence, loss of documentation, and psychosocial distress: “Women, children, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups have been particularly affected by uncertainty and deteriorating living conditions.”
According to international organizations, international response remains constrained by a lack of funding. The Humanitarian Response Plan requires 348 million dollars, but only 116 million dollars had been received by mid-year, equivalent to 34 percent of identified needs.
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