Mozambique: 2.6 million people face extreme protection risks

A report by the Global Protection Cluster (GPC), led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), reveals that approximately 2.6 million Mozambicans are currently exposed to severe protection risks. This figure represents 66.3% of the population affected by the humanitarian crisis in the country.

More than half of the assessed districts (53%) have been classified as “hotspots,” areas where multiple severe or extreme risks occur simultaneously. The situation is most critical in the northern provinces, particularly Cabo Delgado and Nampula. In these hotspots, 100% of districts face illegitimate restrictions on freedom of movement and forced displacement, while 90% report alarming levels of abductions, kidnappings, attacks against civilians, and psychosocial suffering.

The report notes that Mozambique's hotspots register an average of 9.7 simultaneous severe or extreme risks, one of the highest values identified by the international humanitarian mechanism. Common threats include gender-based violence, premature or forced marriages, and arbitrary detentions. Additionally, a significant contraction in humanitarian funding is reportedly reducing the capacity of organizations to provide essential services and protection to vulnerable populations.