June 2025 has witnessed a significant humanitarian crisis in northern Mozambique, as reported by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The ongoing violence attributed to the militant group al-Shabab has led to increased displacement, disruptions in essential services, heightened food insecurity, and challenges in delivering critical humanitarian aid.
The conflict escalated notably in April 2024, coinciding with the withdrawal of troops from the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM). This mission, which commenced in October 2023, concluded on July 15, 2024, resulting in a notable shift in the security landscape within the region.
The UN reports that 699,000 internally displaced individuals have returned to their homes, a process facilitated by improvements in security primarily due to the proactive measures taken by Mozambique’s army, local defense forces, and support from the Rwandan military. Additionally, the challenging living conditions in displacement camps, compounded by a lack of basic services, have driven many to seek refuge in their original locales.
The most recent round of displacements occurred on June 24, when 568 individuals, including 324 children, fled al-Shabab assaults in the Quinto Congresso village, seeking safety in the overcrowded district center of Macomia. This incident brought the total number of people uprooted by violence in 2025 to approximately 48,000.
The situation for returning displaced persons remains complicated. In her conclusion from the 2023 report, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Paula Gaviria Betancur, emphasized the absence of structured, transparent consultation mechanisms for IDPs. This gap has resulted in local authorities and community leaders influencing these individuals to return home under the pretense of proposed humanitarian aid or misrepresentations regarding the conditions they would face, thereby undermining their ability to make fully informed decisions.
Currently, in a province housing nearly two million people, about a quarter — approximately 461,000 individuals — remain internally displaced. Many are grappling with significant food shortages, family separations, and the lingering effects of severe psychological trauma as they navigate their complex realities.
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