Mozambique: Escalation of violence in Memba and Erati districts– Nampula Province - Situation Report #4, As of 12 December 2025 [EN/PT]

HIGHLIGHTS

• Out of the total 107,000 people displaced by violence in the last weeks, at least 12,580 people have returned to their areas of origin following government-facilitated movements and assurances of security and assistance. The returnees received five-day food rations provided by the government with support from the private sector and concerned citizens.
• As of 12 December, humanitarian partners have reached a total of 61,000 people with some form of assistance. Assistance provided is not at-scale, available humanitarian supplies are insufficient to meet needs.
• An inter-agency security and access mission reached Memba district, noting a gradual resumption of community life despite persistent insecurity.
• A cholera outbreak has been declared in Erati district where the onset of the rainy and cyclone season is increasing the risk of further spread due to poor water and sanitation conditions.

Situation overview

Field observations indicate a decrease in the number of IDPs in Erati sites, driven largely by government-facilitated returns to areas of origin and the limited assistance available at displacement sites. According to INGD, at least 2,516 families (approximately 12,580 people) have returned to Chipene and Mazua using transportation provided by the Government and the National Solidarity Campaign. These movements were reportedly encouraged by assurances of safety and the relocation of services and assistance to areas of return.

At the same time, rising tensions between host communities and IDPs—linked to overstretched services and scarce resources—are increasingly being reported. Incidents such as the expulsion of IDPs from Alua Velha site by host community members, reportedly because assistance was only being provided to IDPs, illustrate the strain on social cohesion. These tensions have also prompted additional return movements toward Memba.

In response, the Government is intensifying efforts to promote returns, including plans to close transit centers in Alua, Erati. Awareness campaigns are being conducted to inform communities about return procedures and the support available in areas of origin.

An inter-agency mission led by UNDSS and OCHA, with the participation of UN and NGOs, visited Memba district from 06 to 09 December to conduct a comprehensive security and access assessment to inform humanitarian operational planning for the scale-up of response in the district. The mission accessed villages that were previously attacked by NSAGs, including areas where IDP returns have been reported. Significant destruction was reported in Namajuba, attacked on 17 November, with homes, a church, school, grinding mills, and water pumps burned. Fear of further attacks continues to drive displacement from villages such as Cava, while departures from rural areas in Chipenhe have accelerated following the recent withdrawal of security forces. Local authorities have established a new site near the Catholic church (Chipenhe Centro) for IDPs unable to reach Alua.

The mission noted that health facilities have reopened in Membe sede, and in the administrative posts of Mazua, Chipenhe and Cava, though services remain limited as health workers have yet to return. Agricultural activities have resumed, with communities engaged in farming and trading surplus crops such as dried cassava and cashew nuts. Markets are functioning along the Memba-Nacala Porto corridor, though supplies remain limited along the R706 road that connects Alua, Erati and Mazua and Chipenhe in Memba. Despite insecurity, mining activities in Memba are resuming, with men and youth returning to these livelihoods. The mission concluded that humanitarian and development activities could proceed in Memba district, contingent on continued robust security and access coordination.

On 9 December, the Ministry of Health declared a cholera outbreak in Erati district following 11 cases of acute water diarrhea in IDP sites and confirmation of fice cholera positive cases. Since 22 November, Nampula province has recorded 13 active cases across Erati, Memba, and Moma districts with a cumulative total of 423 cases. Erati alone has reported 22 cases from Namapa and Alua villages, while two deaths were recorded in Memba. The outbreak coincides with the onset of the rainy and cyclone season, which increases the risk of disease spread due to poor water and sanitation conditions. UNICEF and WHO are mobilizing response efforts to contain the outbreak and strengthen WASH and health interventions.