UNHCR Warns of Escalating Crisis as 100,000 Flee New Attacks in Northern Mozambique

Nearly 100,000 people have been displaced in the last two weeks alone, marking one of the fastest-growing humanitarian emergencies in the region since the conflict began in 2017.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has issued an urgent warning as a dramatic surge in violence across northern Mozambique forces tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Nearly 100,000 people have been displaced in the last two weeks alone, marking one of the fastest-growing humanitarian emergencies in the region since the conflict began in 2017.

The violence, initially contained within Cabo Delgado Province, has taken a dangerous turn in 2025. Attacks are now occurring simultaneously across multiple districts and spreading into neighbouring Nampula Province, an area previously considered safe and home to displaced families seeking refuge. Humanitarian actors say they are struggling to keep pace with the sudden escalation, with protection and assistance needs rising far beyond current capacity.

“We Fled with Nothing”: Survivors Describe Terror and Chaos

Families arriving in safer areas recount harrowing experiences. Armed groups have launched nighttime assaults, burning homes, attacking civilians and forcing residents to escape in panic. Many people fled without time to gather belongings, leaving behind elderly relatives or becoming separated from their children in the chaos.

For many, this displacement is not the first—they have been uprooted two or three times already this year as violence continues to follow them from one location to another.

Unsafe Journeys, Exhausted Families, and New Risks

The rapid spread of violence has left civilians with almost no warning before attacks occur. Families have fled on foot, sometimes walking for days without food, water or shelter. Many arrive in open areas, temporary school sites or informal settlements in Nampula Province with no documentation and limited access to essentials.

Women, girls, older people and people with disabilities face heightened risks—particularly during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, when global attention is focused on preventing violence. The lack of safe routes exposes women and girls to exploitation and assault, while overcrowded communal shelters without adequate lighting or privacy further increase protection risks.

Protection partners have reactivated emergency response systems to provide confidential reporting mechanisms for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and to restore referral pathways for medical, psychosocial and legal support.

Children at Risk: Exhausted, Scared and Alone

Large numbers of children have arrived exhausted, traumatized and in poor health, some showing signs of malnutrition. Many are unaccompanied or separated, deeply frightened and uncertain of where to go or how to find family members.

Humanitarian teams are working urgently to identify children at greatest risk, reunite families, and strengthen safety networks. Community outreach efforts are underway to share critical information, while help desks offer counselling, mental health support, dignity kits and assistive devices. Authorities are also helping families replace lost civil documents to regain access to basic services.

Humanitarian Response on the Brink of Collapse

Despite the dedication of UN agencies, NGOs, government authorities and local communities, the humanitarian response is stretched to breaking point. With 2025 funding only at 50%, and needs skyrocketing, life-saving services such as protection, shelter, water, sanitation and food are close to running out.

Thousands of families are left in limbo as humanitarian organizations face severe resource shortages and limited operational capacity. Host communities, already fragile and grappling with insecurity, are overwhelmed by the sudden influx.

A Call for Urgent International Support

UNHCR warns that without immediate and substantial support, the crisis will deteriorate further. The agency projects it will need $38.2 million in 2026 to meet growing needs across northern Mozambique, yet the current year’s funding is far from adequate.

UNHCR is calling on the international community to bolster support urgently—to protect civilians, reinforce overstretched local systems, and help halt a worsening humanitarian disaster. In parallel, long-term solutions addressing the root causes of conflict, poverty and instability are essential to break the cycle of violence and displacement.

Northern Mozambique stands at a critical tipping point. Action taken—or not taken—now will shape the lives and safety of hundreds of thousands of people for years to come.