Maputo, 04 Nov (AIM) – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced that at least 1,235 people fled their homes due to attacks carried out by Islamist terrorists in four districts of the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado between October 14 and 27.
According to IOM latest report, the displaced victims correspond to 316 households across the districts of Mocímboa da Praia, Macomia, Muidumbe, and Meluco.
The displaced population includes 265 men, 386 women, and 584 children. The IOM also identified 87 pregnant women, 58 elderly individuals (over 60 years old), 18 people with disabilities, and four children who are unaccompanied or separated from their families.
The primary needs identified within the affected communities are food (88 percent), shelter (71 percent), and healthcare (44 percent) of the assessed locations.
Mocímboa da Praia recorded the highest number of population movements, with 785 displaced people. This is followed by the administrative post of Chai, in Macomia, with 242 people, and Mucojo, also in Macomia, with 106 displaced individuals. Movements were also recorded in the districts of Muidumbe and Meluco.
Of the total number of displaced people, 939 (76 percent) have been sheltered by host communities, while 296 (24 percent) have been directed to resettlement centers.
According to the report, the accommodation centers of Nondje and Serração, both located in Macomia district, have sheltered 219 and 77 people, respectively.
According to the latest report carried out by the independent conflict registration project ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project), targets civilians for three main purposes: to foment civilian displacement, generate income, and engage in retribution.
Over the months of August and September, eleven attacks on civilian communities involved abductions, and ransoms were reported in five incidents, ranging from 1,500 to 70,000 meticais (from 23 to just over 1,000 US dollars at the current exchange rate).
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), over August and September, attacks in Cabo Delgado (Litandacua on the N380, and at Pangane on the coast) prompted over 700 people to flee.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) points out that incidents associated with the conflict increased by 10 percent in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
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