The organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) stated that basic services continue to be the most affected by armed violence in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, emphasizing that access remains “limited and extremely fragile.”
“What we have witnessed in recent months in Cabo Delgado is a new wave of violence. The most recent attacks alone have forced around 20,000 people to flee their homes in the province,” said Richard Ferreira, an MSF doctor based in the district of Mocímboa da Praia.
The official revealed that, in recent weeks, following successive attacks, MSF was forced to suspend its activities for security reasons. He recalled that Mocímboa da Praia suffered its first terrorist attack in October 2017 and functioned as the rebels’ headquarters for just over a year before being retaken in August 2021 through a joint operation by Mozambican and Rwandan government forces.
According to Ferreira, when MSF first began operating in the region in 2019, the most urgent needs were basic medical care and emergency humanitarian assistance for families displaced by the conflict.
“Today, those needs not only persist but have worsened. There is enormous pressure on healthcare services. Many health units were destroyed by attacks or cyclones, and the few that remain often lack even minimal conditions or are inaccessible due to insecurity,” he explained.
Ferreira also noted that since 2017, many people in Cabo Delgado have been forced to flee their homes multiple times. Because of this constant instability, the population continues to face severe difficulties in accessing basic services. “Many civilians move to safer locations after violent episodes. Among them are healthcare professionals, which leads to a significant shortage of human resources in health facilities,” he said.
“Access to basic healthcare services remains limited and extremely fragile. MSF is the main medical organization supporting existing structures, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Currently, only half of the healthcare facilities are still operating — three health posts and the hospital,” he added.
According to MSF, humanitarian funding for those affected by the conflict is declining, despite increasing needs across the province. This compromises the ability to respond quickly to emergencies, reduces program coverage, and hinders coordination between organizations.
“In 2025, for example, we have seen several organizations reduce or suspend their assistance, even as critical needs persist,” Ferreira noted, adding that the current goal is to respond to the population’s needs safely — both for civilians and for aid workers.
Since October 2017, Cabo Delgado — a province rich in natural resources, particularly natural gas — has been the scene of an armed insurgency that has caused thousands of deaths and created a humanitarian crisis with over one million internally displaced people.
In April, the attacks also spread to the neighboring Niassa province. One of the most serious incidents occurred in the Niassa Reserve and the Mariri Environmental Center, in the district of Mecula, where non-state armed groups attacked facilities, looted property, destroyed camps and an aircraft belonging to the park. These attacks resulted in at least two deaths and displaced more than 2,000 people, 55% of whom are children.
Source: Diário Económico
