Extremists’ victims need help, UN says

Extremists and armed groups are thriving in the border area of northern Mozambique, and cross-border collaboration is urgently needed to address this, a United Nations Development Programme official has warned.

During a briefing on the worsening humanitarian situation there, Alessandra Casazza, from the UNDP’s Regional Service Centre for Africa, said the crisis was not confined to Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado only.

“This is together, a humanitarian crisis, this is a security crisis, and this is also a development crisis which requires urgent action,” she said.

She said the security situation needed to be restored and there should be support for “long-term development solutions”.

Casazza, who was part of a UN delegation that visited the city of Pemba and the districts of Ancuabe and Chiúre last month, said it was clear the crisis “spans across the border to Tanzania and Malawi”.

“This is a crisis that has cross-border dimensions”, she said.

“It requires strengthening cooperation across the countries, particularly to bring long-term development in border areas.

“This means investing in cross-border trade, social infrastructure and social services, building governance institutions and social cohesion and generally promoting economic opportunities for these communities to prosper.”

Casazza said extremists and armed groups thrived in border areas where there was a development and institutional vacuum.

“Therefore bringing long-term development in these remote areas reduce opportunities for recruitment and support for these armed groups,” she said.

She added that the UNDP and the UN wanted to work with the Mozambican government to address these issues and helping support those displaced by the conflict to help them recover and access social services and work opportunities.

“There are no indications, at least for the moment, that the people who had to leave their homes from the violence in Cabo Delgado, are willing to return in the near future,” she said.

“It is very critical, it is very important that we at the UNDP help support their integration with the host communities.”

According to the UN, attacks by non-state groups have forced more than 565 000 people to flee their homes and villages, and abandon their crops and livelihoods.

Officials said in a joint statement that the lack of adequate food, water, sanitation, shelter, health, protection and education was exacerbating an already dire situation for displaced people.