Over 1.2 Million in Northern Mozambique Require Humanitarian Aid Due to the Ongoing Insurgency
According to a UN report released on Saturday, more than 1.2 million people in northern Mozambique are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance due to the ongoing Islamist insurgency.
The data, provided by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), highlights the severe impact of seven years of conflict in the region.
The report reveals that, as of May, a total of 1.7 million people across Mozambique required humanitarian support. Of these, 1.24 million are affected by the armed conflict in the northern provinces of Nampula, Niassa, and Cabo Delgado.
The remaining 429,623 individuals are facing challenges related to climate change, with Mozambique being highly vulnerable to its effects despite contributing minimally to global climate change.
OCHA’s humanitarian response plan for Mozambique has only secured US$73.7 million, just under 18 percent of the US$413 million required. OCHA Mozambique representative Paola Serrao Emerson noted that typically, funding would have reached at least 20 percent by April.
In terms of immediate needs, 1.2 million people require shelter, 562,000 need nutrition support, and 950,000 are in need of healthcare services. Despite the dire situation, recent developments offer a glimmer of hope.
Coordinated military efforts, including those by Mozambique’s Armed Defence Forces, Rwandan troops, South African Development Community (SADC) forces, and Local Force veterans, have recently delivered a significant blow to the insurgents.
President Filipe Nyusi commended these combined forces on June 16, acknowledging their success in destroying most of the insurgents’ fixed bases and neutralizing key leaders.
The reduction in major terror attacks over the past two months provides a potential pathway to increased stability in the region.
Source: The Macao News
