Mozambique violence displaces 7,029 people, UN agency says

Fresh violence and fear of attacks by non-state armed groups displaced 7,029 people in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province between 21 September and 27 October 2026, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says. Some had been forced to flee more than once.

The arrivals follow years of conflict. Separately, Cabo Delgado already hosted more than 205,000 displaced people across 84 sites as of October 2026; more than half of them were children.

Families flee to host communities

IOM recorded 5,794 people displaced between 21 September and 13 October, followed by 1,235 between 14 October and 27 October. Most newly displaced families are staying with host communities, putting pressure on households and local services.

The later group included 584 children and 386 women, together accounting for 78% of those displaced during 14–27 October, as well as 87 pregnant women, 58 older people, 18 people with disabilities and four unaccompanied or separated children. Many men stayed behind to keep earning a living, despite the danger.

Food is the most urgent need

Food was the most urgent need among those assessed, followed by shelter and healthcare. The shares of assessed people reporting each need were:

IOM is providing emergency shelter, household items, water, sanitation and hygiene services, protection and psychosocial support. The agency says continued displacement and falling funding are stretching the response as needs grow.

Dana Graber Ladek, IOM’s chief of mission in Mozambique, said life could become much harder for displaced families and their hosts without timely support. There is no clear sign of when families can safely return home, and sustained support is needed for essential services and host communities, IOM says.