Rapid gender analysis on the conflict in Cabo Delgado
This analysis is based on information collected in 4 resettlement centers in Nampula and Cabo Delgado Provinces and focuses on the abuses of girls' rights suffered as a result of the conflict in Mozambique.
The first attack in Cabo Delgado was reported in October 2017 when a group of self-proclaimed Islamic insurgents known as Al-Shabbab attacked a group of police officers in Mocimboa da Praia. Since that attack, the conflict, which has included killings, beheadings, kidnappings, sexual abuse of women and girls, among others, has gained momentum and spread to other districts in the province.
Today, more than 714,000 civilians have been internally displaced to escape the violence, 46% of whom are children, with around 3,000 people killed due to armed conflict in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
Over time, the families threatened in various parts of Cabo Delgado have been forced to leave their homes and take refuge in various nearby districts and provinces as a way of protecting themselves and safeguarding their lives.
The escape of the civilian population from their villages was sudden and caused the immediate abandonment of their sources of livelihood as well as a complete depletion of their financial resources.
The high level of terror caused by threats by the insurgents caused hundreds of thousands of families to flee to Zambezia and Nampula provinces and other parts of Cabo Delgado, such as Pemba, Chiure and Montepuez districts, among others. The presence of family members, the influence of fellow countrymen and women, a closer and safer destination are the main reasons for people’s preference for these districts, even in the face of so many difficulties.
This analysis was developed by Plan International Mozambique and information was collected in 4 resettlement centers in Nampula and Cabo Delgado Provinces. This analysis contains relevant information on the high risks of prevalence of early marriages, early pregnancies and drop-outs from schools, not mentioning the high risk of sexually transmitted infections due to having to engage in transactional sex as a means for survival.
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Emergencies, Child protection in emergencies, Migrant and displaced children
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