Maputo — The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has identified Mozambique as the only county in Southern Africa region facing continuous conflicts that are responsible for generate humanitarian needs in the second quarter of the current year, at a time when the region is seeking to recover from various floods.
In an OCHA report, Mozambique emerges as an exception in a period when most countries in Southern Africa transitioned from emergency operations caused by floods and cyclones to recovery and reconstruction initiatives.
While the effects of the cyclones that struck Madagascar and Mozambique and the floods that affected more than 2.6 million people in the region diminished throughout the second quarter, the country continued to face humanitarian challenges associated with insecurity and population displacement [in the northern province of Cabo Delgado].
"The conflict has already caused 6,632 deaths since the beginning of the insurgency and, of the 2,408 violent events recorded since October 2017, 2,224 involved alleged elements of Islamic State Mozambique. The consequences of the violence have been particularly visible in terms of population displacements, destruction of infrastructure, interruption of basic services, and difficulties in accessing livelihoods, factors that continue to fuel the need for humanitarian assistance in various areas of the northern part of the country", reads the document.
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The document also highlights that food insecurity, disease outbreaks, malnutrition, and funding limitations remain among the primary humanitarian concerns in Southern Africa, affecting millions of people, including in Mozambique.
"Acute malnutrition remains a significant concern in several countries, including Mozambique, reflecting the combined effects of prolonged drought, food insecurity, and disease outbreaks. Cholera also continues to represent a threat in the region. Between April and June, more than 17,000 cases and more than 200 deaths from cholera were reported in Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia", reads OCHA regional report.
"Despite a slight improvement in regional food security, supported by above-average rainfall and seasonal harvests, around 13.3 million people remained in a crisis situation or worse due to the persistent impacts of the 2023/24 drought, poor harvests, and high food prices", adds the document.
However, the number of refugees and asylum seekers remained stable overall, with no signs of significant deterioration in population movements within the region during the second quarter.
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The organization also warns that vulnerabilities remain high in several countries across the Southern African region "and most of these countries have moved toward a recovery phase following the floods recorded at the beginning of the year, although localized flooding persists in Eswatini."
