Mozambique: Almost 19,000 people have fled Palma, says IOM

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Mozambique: Almost 19,000 people have fled Palma, says IOM

4:48 CAT | 16 Apr 2021

Photo: Twitter / @IOM_Mozambique

A total of 18,661 people, almost half of them children, fled Palma following the March 24 attack on the town, the International Organisation for Migration says in its most recent report.

According to the document, of the people who have arrived in the districts of Nangade, Mueda, Montepuez and Pemba since March 24, 43% are children and 31% women.

“Hundreds of displaced people from the district of Palma continue to arrive daily in the districts of Nangade, Mueda, Montepuez and Pemba on foot, by bus, by boat and by plane. This leads us to think that there are still a significant number of people displaced in the forest, walking to safety,” the IOM report declares.

There are also dozens of people who continue to look for safety within the Palma area, with emphasis on Quitunda and Afungi near the Total-led gas exploration project, the document adds.

The organisation is concerned about possible cases of cholera in these areas, warning that local authorities in five districts of the province have registered 3,141 cases and 16 deaths since March 15.

Over 18,600 people have been displaced from #Palma since late March; hundreds more are arriving daily.

IOM is providing multisectoral life-saving humanitarian assistance in cooperation with Gov’t of #Mozambique

IOM #CaboDelgado crisis situation report: https://t.co/dAuEIesVif pic.twitter.com/4mvbNhbZw7

— IOM Mozambique (@IOM_Mozambique) April 15, 2021

The town of Palma, about six kilometres from the Total natural gas project, suffered an armed attack on March 24, which authorities say resulted in the death of dozens of people, the destruction of infrastructure and the flight of hundreds.

Violence in northern districts of Cabo Delgado province began three years ago, causing a humanitarian crisis with nearly 700,000 people displaced, according to United Nations (UN) agencies, and more than 2,000 deaths, according to Lusa news agency.

Source: Lusa