A severe humanitarian emergency is unfolding in northern Mozambique as Islamic State-affiliated militants intensify their violent campaign, creating a massive displacement crisis with particularly devastating consequences for children. Recent weeks have witnessed a surge in attacks characterized by extreme brutality, including civilian beheadings, village burnings, and systematic targeting of communities across multiple provinces.
The United Nations reports that November alone saw more than 100,000 people forcibly displaced from their homes, with approximately 70,000 being children according to UNICEF estimates. Many children have become separated from their families during the chaos, with some undertaking perilous journeys of five to six days alone to reach safety.
This latest wave of displacement adds to an already catastrophic situation, bringing the total number of displaced persons to approximately 1.3 million since the insurgency began in 2017 in Cabo Delgado province. The militant group, identified as Islamic State-Mozambique by U.S. intelligence assessments, operates as an autonomous branch of the global terrorist network with an estimated 300 fighters seeking to impose sharia law.
The insurgency gained international attention in 2021 when militants launched a sustained assault on the coastal town of Palma, resulting in numerous casualties and forcing French energy conglomerate Total to suspend a landmark $20 billion liquefied natural gas project—a crucial development initiative for Mozambique’s economy that is believed to have been a primary target.
While initially concentrated in Cabo Delgado, the conflict has now expanded into neighboring Nampula and Niassa provinces, creating a broader regional security challenge. According to data from Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, the violence has claimed over 6,300 lives, including 2,700 civilians.
Humanitarian organizations describe a system pushed to its absolute limits, with inadequate resources to address the overwhelming needs for food, water, shelter, and healthcare. Compounding the crisis, northern Mozambique faces additional environmental challenges including cyclones from the Indian Ocean—four of which have struck in the past year—following a severe drought in 2024.
UN officials characterize the situation as reaching a ‘breaking point,’ with children comprising 67% of the displaced population and facing particular vulnerabilities including abduction, recruitment by militants, gender-based violence, and severe psychological trauma. Despite ongoing military assistance from Rwanda, the Mozambican government has struggled to contain the insurgency, leaving countless civilians in desperate circumstances with limited prospects for safety or stability.