United Nations (UN) Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya, at the start of her visit to the country this Sunday, highlighted the resilience of the population affected by terrorism in northern Mozambique in the face of humanitarian challenges.
“These are people who have been through a lot, but despite this, they continue to move forward. This is resilience,” Joyce Msuya told Lusa moments after laying a wreath of flowers at Praça dos Heróis Moçambicanos on the first day of the UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator’s working visit to Mozambique.
In Mozambique, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has a week’s work schedule that includes a visit to Cabo Delgado, a Mozambican province that has been hit by incursions by rebel groups since 2017.
“My plan is to meet with communities, organizations and humanitarian response partners. But at this stage, it is important to highlight the resilience of both the people and the government to continue moving forward,” Joyce Msuya added.
In addition to visiting Cabo Delgado, the official has meetings scheduled in Mozambique with several government officials, including a meeting with Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Manuel José Gonçalves on Monday.
Cabo Delgado has faced armed insurgency for six years, with the Islamic State extremist group claiming responsibility for some attacks.
On the ground, the Mozambique Armed Defense Forces have been fighting terrorism that has negatively impacted natural gas mega-projects since July 2021, with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Mozambican government data shows that at least 70% of the population displaced by the war has returned to the province as security has been restored in the face of armed groups operating in the region.
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the conflict in northern Mozambique has displaced one million people and killed around 4,000, according to the ACLED Conflict Record Project, while Mozambique’s President recently admitted that “more than 2000 people.”
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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