Mozambique: Cabo Delgado, Nampula & Niassa Humanitarian Snapshot, October 2024-ENG/PT

Displaced families in Cabo Delgado and Nampula face difficult choices. A recent UNHCR consultation with 6,685 displaced households (about 33,425 people) in Cabo Delgado and Nampula highlights a difficult decision faced by many internally displaced persons (IDPs): to remain in their current locations or risk returning to their homes amid ongoing insecurity. In Nampula, 70% of IDPs prefer to stay, while 24% would return if safety improved. In Cabo Delgado, the picture is more divided, with 36% hoping to stay and 35% willing to return under safer conditions. For most (73% in Nampula and 91% in Cabo Delgado), safety is paramount. Conditions in displacement sites are challenging, and a lack of opportunities drives some IDPs to consider going back, though integrating into host communities has been difficult, with only 2% in Cabo Delgado and 5% in Nampula feeling fully accepted.

Government relocation efforts for safer settlements In October 2024, the Government launched relocation efforts for 14,500 IDPs from the districts of Mocímboa da Praia and Metuge, aiming to provide more permanent and safer settlements. In Mocímboa da Praia, 1,645 families (about 8,225 people) displaced by recent attacks by non-State armed groups (NSAGs) agreed to resettle around seven kilometers from the district headquarters, in a 74-hectare site that includes land for agricultural use. Similarly, in Metuge, 1,302 families (about 6,510 people) who fled violence in 2020 are being relocated with hopes of fostering stability within host communities in Taratara and Campini villages. Humanitarian support, such as logistics, construction materials, water, and health services, is urgently needed to aid this transition, with the IOM already having built 16 latrines and three water boreholes to support these communities.

Support needed to stabilize Quissanga district infrastructure In Cabo Delgado, provincial authorities have called for international assistance to stabilize Quissanga district, an area still affected by NSAG attacks. On 15 October, a UN team assessed the N380 road connecting Pemba to Quissanga, identifying deteriorating conditions that could leave communities isolated during the rainy season. Key bridges need repairs, and limited telecommunications hinder relief efforts. To maintain access and support in these difficult conditions, the mission recommends infrastructure upgrades and contingency measures, such as off-road vehicles, satellite phones, and community engagement. Stabilizing Quissanga is essential to ensuring access to food and essentials for returnees, who have received limited aid since early 2024.

Rising Gender-Based Violence in Cabo Delgado UNHCR’s January-September 2024 report reveals an increase in gender-based violence (GBV) across Cabo Delgado, particularly affecting women (88%) and girls (10%). The majority of survivors are IDPs (62%), with 32% from host communities. The highest rates were recorded in Pemba (26%) and Montepuez (25%), followed by Mueda (21%), Palma (14%), and Chiúre (13%). In half of the reported cases, survivors identified family members, friends, or neighbors as perpetrators, while 38% involved intimate partners. Nearly all perpetrators (97%) are adult men. This rise in incidents calls for urgent, targeted support in IDP and host communities, focusing on protective measures, survivor assistance, and community awareness.