A surge of brutal attacks in northern Mozambique has triggered fresh panic, pushing tens of thousands, many of them children to run for safety. In just one week, more than 100,000 people have been uprooted from their homes, with violence now spreading into areas once believed to be secure.
Xavier Creach of UNHCR described the situation for children and families as heart-breaking. He explained that this is the fourth large displacement in recent months, and support for young victims is rapidly disappearing. “People arrive with nothing,” he said. “No food, no shelter, no clean water. Children and parents come traumatized, and mental health support is desperately needed, yet very limited.”
Host communities are overwhelmed as schools, classrooms, and temporary shelters now hold families packed together with little space or basic supplies. Aid workers fear for the safety of women and young girls, who face rising threats of sexual violence. Creach stressed that only urgent global support can protect children and prevent further suffering.
The conflict, which began in Cabo Delgado in 2017, has already displaced more than 1.3 million people. But in 2025, attacks have now reached Nampula and Niassa, regions that previously sheltered displaced families, putting even more children in danger.
Humanitarian agencies are calling for immediate international help to provide food, protection, education, and emotional support for the thousands of frightened children caught in the conflict.
Without action, the youngest victims may suffer the most.
