Local security conflict

Intensified attacks on villages and the rapid spillover of the conflict into previously safe districts force tens of thousands of people to flee across northern Mozambique, with close to 100,000 displaced in the past fortnight alone, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says.UNHCR's Mozambique Representative Xavier Creach told journalists at a UN press conference in Geneva on Dec. 2 that needs are rising at unprecedented speed, the capacity of humanitarian and government actors is not keeping pace, and collective efforts remain insufficient to meet the scale of protection and assistance required on the ground.“People reaching safety say they escaped in fear as armed groups stormed their villages – often at night – burning homes, attacking civilians, and forcing families to flee with nothing,” said Creach, speaking from Mozambique.“Many described chaotic escapes, with parents losing sight of their children and older relatives left behind in the panic. For many, this is the second or third time they have been displaced this year as the attacks follow them into new areas.”The violence, which began in the northern Cabo Delgado region in 2017, has already displaced over 1.3 million people and is often perpetrated by Jihadists, say Mozambican authorities.But 2025 has seen a dangerous shift: attacks are now happening simultaneously and spreading beyond Cabo Delgado into Nampula Province, threatening communities that had previously hosted displaced families, said Creach.“As the violence spreads rapidly, civilians have almost no warning and are arriving at makeshift sites, including schools and open spaces, in Nampula Province,” said the UNHCR representative.“Many flee without any civil documentation and no access to essential services, walking for days in extreme fear.”The lack of safe routes and basic support leaves families, especially women and girls, at heightened risk of exploitation and abuse, just at the time when humanitarians globally are marking 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence.“Despite scant resources, protection partners have reactivated and strengthened some management and referral structures to provide affected women and girls with confidential reporting and safer access to medical, psychosocial and legal assistance,” said Creach.He noted that even after reaching safer areas, protection risks remain acute.The sudden influx is putting huge pressure on already fragile host communities, who also face insecurity.
Schools, churches and open spaces are crowded with newly arrived families, with many sleeping in the open.A lack of lighting and privacy in these communal shelters is exposing women and girls, who already faced perilous journeys to safety, to new risks of sexual and gender violence, while older people and those with disabilities struggle in sites that are not accessible or equipped for their needs,” said the UNHCR representative.Children arrived exhausted, traumatized, and weakened after days of walking, some malnourished and with swollen feet. Many are unaccompanied or separated from their families, alone in unfamiliar surroundings, facing fear, uncertainty and risks.With the conflict widening and civilians facing increasing danger, UNHCR is calling for urgent international support to protect people forced to flee, reinforce overstretched host communities and prevent further deterioration of the crisis.At the same time, addressing the underlying drivers of the conflict remains crucial to restoring stability and breaking the cycle of violence and displacement in northern Mozambique.