UN warns of deepening crisis as violence displaces 100,000 in Mozambique

The United Nations has issued a stark warning over a severe and escalating humanitarian emergency in northern Mozambique, describing a "profound protection crisis." Paola Emerson, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Mozambique, stated that 2025 has become the worst year for civilian harm since the conflict's inception in 2017. More than 107,000 people have been newly displaced since mid-November, marking a third major wave this year.

Children Bear the Brunt of Displacement

Addressing reporters online from Geneva, Emerson highlighted that children account for a staggering 67 percent of those uprooted. Many have been separated from families, orphaned, or exposed to abuse and exploitation, with their education severely disrupted. "No child should ever have to grow up under such conditions," she stressed. Many displaced families are surviving in overcrowded schools, makeshift sites, and strained host communities, with confirmed cholera cases adding to the health risks.

Critical Shortages and Inadequate Funding

Four weeks into the latest displacement wave, rapid aid has reached only 40,350 people in Erati district with a mere two weeks of food supplies. Emerson warned that stocks are nearly depleted after a year compounded by cyclones, drought, and relentless violence. "There are no food and health stocks left," she said. While the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated $6 million, the needs vastly outstrip resources; Mozambique's 2025 humanitarian appeal for $352 million is only 28 percent funded.