“They barely had time to recover when they had to leave again, due to attacks or fear of attacks,” said Paola Emerson, head of the OCHA office in Mozambique.
The veteran humanitarian explained that violence has often uprooted families multiple times as they endure weeks of attacks.
This is an unusual pattern, compared to the previous hit-and-run tactics characteristic of the violence that erupted in the northern province of Cabo Delgado in 2017.
This conflict and the climate crises have already displaced more than 600,000 people, according to UN data, while almost nine out of 10 of those fleeing violence have already done so at least once this year.
Hit by cyclones
Ms Emerson added that this latest wave of attacks has been particularly destabilizing for communities that have already been hit by three cyclones in 2025.
“The vast majority are children, 67 percent,” Ms. Emmerson said. “There is great protection concern, with reports of gender-based violence and separated or unaccompanied children.”
Most of the displaced families are now taking refuge in overcrowded host communities, open areas and damaged schools where exams have been disrupted in several districts.
Aid distribution is falling far short of needs, the UN aid official said, with only about 40 percent of people receiving “pitiful” food assistance, amid “major shortages.”
Emmerson warned that gaps in aid are already forcing some families to return to insecure areas “with very little information about whether the situation has stabilized.”
Beheadings among other horrors
UN agencies have issued repeated alerts this week. On Tuesday, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said civilians described night attacks, burning houses and summary executions by beheading as armed groups advanced into previously unaffected districts. The agency highlighted severe resource shortages and described the response as “insufficient.”
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) added on Friday that children are being pushed to the limit. It warned of “staggering” levels of displacement and increasing serious violations, including kidnappings and recruitment. The UN agency said essential services – health, education, water and protection – are “under the weight of need”, just as the cyclone season is set to intensify.
Humanitarian partners are calling for urgent funding to prevent further deterioration and warn that without rapid support, the crisis will deepen and families may face further displacement within weeks.