By ReliefWeb*
As of April, 732,000 persons were displaced in the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala and Zambezia as a result of violence and insecurity in Cabo Delgado. As of June, some 70,000 people from Palma were forcibly displaced in the aftermath of Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) attacks in March.
The humanitarian situation continues deteriorating and urgent assistance is needed to address the needs of families fleeing violence, particularly in hard to reach areas, due to insecurity, which have been the most affected.
9,600 Mozambican asylum seekers have been forcibly returned from Tanzania since January 2021. UNHCR urges neighboring countries to respect access to asylum for those fleeing widespread violence and armed conflict in northern Mozambique.
Situation update
Continuous forced return of Mozambican asylum seekers from Tanzania after fleeing violence in Cabo Delgado: Between January and June 2021, over 9,600 Mozambican asylum seekers from Cabo Delgado were forcibly returned from Tanzania through the Negomano border point, in Mueda District, Northern Mozambique. Out of this figure, 900 people were forcibly returned between 7 and 9 June only. Families pushed back from Tanzania end up in a dire situation at the border and are exposed to gender-based violence (GBV) and health risks as many are sleeping in the open at night in extreme cold without blankets or a roof over their heads. There is an urgent need for emergency core relief items (CRIs) and food. In June, UNHCR provided kitchen sets, sleeping mats, blankets, mosquito nets, jerry cans, solar lamps and tarpaulins, to approximately 1,500 people recently returned from Tanzania in Negomano, as part of a distribution targeting 10,000 people in Mueda District. UNHCR continues to advocate for the internally displaced to receive protection and assistance in Mozambique and for vulnerable people seeking safety in neighbouring Tanzania to access asylum. UNHCR reiterates its call for those fleeing the conflict to have access to the territory and to asylum, and, in particular, for the principle of non-refoulement (no forced return) to be respected. (Additional information available here)
Urgent assistance needs in hard to reach and partially reachable areas in Cabo Delgado: The coastal districts Mocimboa da Praia, Quissanga and Palma, as well as the non-coastal districts of Meluco and Muidumbe are considered as hard to reach due to the presence of Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs), insecurity, and logistical/transportation challenges, while the districts of Ibo, Macomia, Mueda and Nangade are considered partially accessible. Although there are currently no up-to-date displacement figures available on hard to reach areas, the districts considered partially accessible were hosting over 178,000 IDPs as of April 2021. In both hard to reach and partially accessible areas, displaced and host communities are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance as a result of the ongoing situation of violence, displacement, lack of access to food and non-food items, health services and shelter. It is critical to reach populations in these areas to provide protection assistance to vulnerable groups in particular survivors of gender-based violence; separated and unaccompanied minors; people with disabilities; elderly persons; and separated families. In addition to protection assistance, displaced families are in urgent need of CRIs and shelter materials. Moreover, the assistance provided should be accompanied by a comprehensive strategy to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA). 20 Jun 2021
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*ReliefWeb is a humanitarian information service provided by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).