The United Nations has reported that nearly 5.2 million people in Mozambique are in need of assistance due to a “triple crisis” stemming from “armed conflict, recurring extreme weather events, and months of post-electoral unrest.”
The UNHCR’s Deputy Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Xavier Creach, emphasized that the situation is particularly severe in the province of Cabo Delgado.
Creach explained that the activity of non-state armed groups has increased displacement and the destruction of infrastructure, further hindering recovery efforts.
More than 25,000 Mozambicans in the north of the country have been forced to flee their homes in recent weeks due to the escalating conflict, the official lamented.
“Thousands of people have lost their homes—many for the second or third time—and are seeking safety in communities that are already overstretched,” said Creach.
Women and children, in particular, face “serious protection risks” in an environment where “gender-based violence, family separation, and limited access to documentation are rising drastically,” he noted.
The humanitarian crisis in Cabo Delgado has already displaced 1.3 million people and may worsen due to a severe funding shortfall for vital aid operations, the UNHCR official warned.
The agency’s response capacity has been limited by underfunding, with only about one-third of the required $42.7 million (approximately €37.5 million) raised for this year.
Creach warned that some “vital programs” may be discontinued unless “urgent support” is mobilized for Mozambique.
“A perfect storm is forming. If we turn our backs now, the country will face a much greater humanitarian emergency. The crisis is unfolding now. We have a choice. We can act to prevent, support, and protect—or we can stand by and do nothing,” Creach stated.
The UNHCR warning came a day after the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated that more than 3.4 million Mozambican children are in urgent need of assistance and called for a scaled-up humanitarian response to the country’s growing needs.
“Mozambique is facing multiple challenges that have further deepened the humanitarian crisis in the country. Over 3.4 million children require urgent humanitarian assistance,” reads a statement from the UN agency.
According to UNICEF, armed conflicts in Cabo Delgado province and extreme weather events have “left the country extremely vulnerable,” resulting in “outbreaks of infectious diseases and the destruction of schools and health facilities.”
UNICEF Portugal also issued “an urgent appeal for donations to support emergency operations in Mozambique and help secure a future for these children and their families.”
Source: Lusa
