Refugees International has expressed concern about violence and ongoing displacement in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province.
Recall that on 24 March, the Palma district was attacked by local, non-state armed groups.
According to a statement by Sarah Sheffer, Director of Communications at Refugees International, more than 5,000 people, mostly women and children, have been displaced from Palma in the week since.
“Over the last year, the number of people displaced internally has skyrocketed from 70,000 to 700,000.
Aid groups report children found alone and disoriented after spending days alone in the bush without food or water, many of whom have witnessed the killing of family members.
“Reports of children as young as 11 being beheaded have also emerged, painting a picture of terror and horror for those fleeing. Mozambique’s humanitarian crisis is further exacerbated by a range of climate-related disasters, including Cyclone Eloise, which hit in January 2021.
Refugees International calls on the international community to mobilize a swift response to this humanitarian crisis and for an end to the violence.
Humanitarian actors are already stretched thin: the current humanitarian appeal for the Cabo Delgado emergency is only 1 percent funded. Donors must step up immediately to provide much-needed support,” Sheffer stated.
