Nearly 60,000 people have been displaced in northern Mozambique over the past two weeks due to escalating attacks by fighters linked to ISIL. The International Organization for Migration said the violence, which began on 20 July, has forced 57,034 people from their homes, mostly in Cabo Delgado province. Chiúre district has been the worst affected, with more than 42,000 displaced, over half of them children.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said around 30,000 people have so far received food, water, shelter, and other essential support. However, its head in Mozambique, Paola Emerson, warned the response is still falling short, with growing needs outpacing available aid. The humanitarian effort is also being hampered by recent cuts to international funding from countries including the United States.
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Mozambique has been battling a violent insurgency in the north for more than eight years. The group, known locally as al-Shabab, has no connection to its Somali namesake. More than 6,100 people have died in the conflict, including 364 last year. Rwandan troops have been deployed to support Mozambican forces in efforts to contain the violence.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch says armed groups have increased their abduction of children, using them as fighters or for forced labour and marriage, warning such actions constitute war crimes.
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