UN says 22,000 people displaced in Mozambique in late September due to violence

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed grave concern over the number of civilians fleeing violence in northern Mozambique, making it impossible for many of them to return home.

UNHCR revealed that approximately 22,000 people fled Cabo Delgado province in a single week in late September.

Last month, militants attacked the strategic coastal city of Mocimboa da Praia, clashing with the army.

“Civilians continue to be targeted amid reports of killings,” UNHCR’s representative in Mozambique, Xavier Créach said.

He added, “During 2025, the violence has sharply accelerated. By the end of August, over 500 security incidents affecting civilians had been recorded, including raids on villages, abductions, killings of civilians, looting, and the destruction of homes and infrastructure.”

More than 100,000 people have been forced to flee this year, according to the UNHCR representative, who noted that 89% of them had been displaced previously.

Twenty-two humanitarian organizations have announced the suspension of their operations in Cabo Delgado this year, making it difficult to respond to the crisis.

Since the conflict erupted in 2017, more than 1.3 million people have been displaced in Mozambique.

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