Mozambique: 1,235 people flee attacks in Cabo Delgado
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Club of Mozambique and O País
At least 1,235 people fled attacks or fears of attacks by insurgent groups in four districts of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, between 14 and 27 October. The IOM recorded these displacements in its latest report, according to Club of Mozambique and O País, which specifies that 316 families were affected and that 76% of displaced people were hosted by local communities.
The displacement affected 316 families. O País specifies that 265 men, 386 women and 584 children were among the displaced, with the latter representing about 47% of the total. The IOM also recorded 87 pregnant women, 58 people aged over 60, 18 people with disabilities and four unaccompanied children or children separated from their families, according to O País.
Mocímboa da Praia recorded the highest number of displacements, with 785 people, ahead of the administrative post of Chai, in Macomia district, with 242 people, and Mucojo, also in Macomia, with 106 people. Movements were also reported in Muidumbe and Meluco, O País reports.
Among the displaced people, 939, or 76%, were hosted by local communities, while 296, or 24%, were directed to resettlement centres. The centres in Nondje and Serração, in Macomia, hosted 219 and 77 people respectively, according to O País. The most frequent needs concerned food, shelter and healthcare, reported at 88%, 71% and 44% of the sites assessed.
Cabo Delgado has faced an armed insurgency since 2017. The conflict has killed more than 6,600 people and displaced more than 1.3 million, according to international organisations cited by O País. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported a 10% rise in conflict-related incidents in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, with more than 400 incidents recorded.
