Humanity & Inclusion (HI) alerts that vulnerable people need immediate humanitarian aid following terror attacks in Cabo Delgado

Following attacks in Cabo Delgado,  Ancuabe and Chiure districts, and most recently the attack in Palma, Humanity & Inclusion (HI) expresses deep concern over the situation of vulnerable populations. Pregnant women, older people, people with disabilities and children are amongst the people who have been displaced by recent fighting in the country.

Around 3,000 people have been displaced, following last week’s brutal attacks by insurgents on Palma and surrounding areas. Since 2017, a total of 670,000 people are displaced due to the violence. The exact number of casualties after the recent violence is unclear as many people are still unaccounted for.

“Many people, are terrified of being attacked and have resulted in hiding which means they no access to food or water. It is vital that the response to this crisis takes into consideration the access to support for the most vulnerable groups, ensuring no one is left behind. Efforts to provide humanitarian aid must ensure the most vulnerable people, such as people with disabilities; older people receive the support they so desperately need,”

says Marco Tamburro, HI's Director of Programs in Mozambique

According to an assessment conducted by HI in 2 districts of Cabo Delgado (districts heavily impacted by the movement of people fleeing the violence):

• 16% of the households of people displaced declared having a member with a disability and/or chronic needs
• 22% of the disability declared their disability was due to the conflict.

“Children are almost half of the displaced people (45%), many of these children are unaccompanied. Amongst the most vulnerable groups are also pregnant women, older people and people with disabilities[1], “

added Marco Tamburro

 “We are calling for the support of international donors. HI identified the top humanitarian 3 priorities as food, shelter and access to drinking water – these are resources that need to be urgently funded, especially during the global pandemic. Protection, inclusion and accessibility must be mainstreamed to ensure every single person is considered in this response. We must also consider the long term impacts of this violence. Psychosocial support is essential to help people rebuild their lives and we will work to implement an accessible referral mechanism so that people can reach out and receive the support they require.”

Notes

HI has just finalized a needs assessment in Cabo Delgado, in Ancuabe and Chiure districts, strongly affected by the movement of displaced people. Our teams are also currently setting up a Disability Working Group in Pemba, with FAMOD and AIFO[2], to make sure people with disabilities are included in the emergency response. The group is included in the follow-up of displaced people and is currently supporting the detection and disaggregation of persons with disabilities coming from Palma.