The government of Mozambique has called on the international community to assist people fleeing Islamist insurgency.
Insurgents linked to Islamic State took over Mocímboa da Praia in August – one of a series of brazen attacks this year in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province.
Due to government’s lack of means to evacuate people from conflict zones to safer areas like Pemba, people have been fleeing using their own.
Aid groups in northern Mozambique say attacks on civilians have displaced close to 400,000 people during three years of Islamist terrorism.
The United Nations World Food Program’s representative in Cabo Delgado, Cristina Graziani, said they are working to assist those in need in partnership with the government.
As the insurgency and the number of its victims expand, concerns about the displaced are growing.
Borges Nhamire of Mozambique’s Center for Public Integrity — which promotes democracy and human rights — said the government needs to do more for displaced civilians in Cabo Delgado.
