The crisis in Cabo Delgado is far from over

In response to an escalation in the conflict, in 2021 Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) started providing medical and humanitarian assistance to displaced people and host communities across Mueda, Nangade, and Muidumbe — three districts hosting large numbers of displaced people — as well as strengthening the local health care system.

After the emergency reached its peak, and as health care services resumed function, MSF concluded activities in the three districts. But the humanitarian needs in Cabo Delgado remain high.

Displaced people find refuge in Mueda

In 2021, armed men linked to a group affiliated with Islamic State Mozambique launched an assault on the coastal town of Palma, about 60 miles northeast of Mueda. Civilian areas, hotels, and residential neighborhoods were attacked, homes were torched, and residents fled into the surrounding bush. Many people were trapped, injured, or killed. 

The violence triggered one of the largest mass displacements since the conflict started, with thousands fleeing to safer areas. MSF teams responded rapidly, providing emergency medical care to people in Palma and to those arriving in displacement sites across Cabo Delgado.

As successive waves of violence hit Mocímboa da Praia, Macomia, Muidumbe, and other districts, Mueda became a place of refuge. The town absorbed tens of thousands of displaced people, some arriving in critical condition after days on the move. MSF teams launched mobile clinics, delivered emergency care, provided water and sanitation support in displacement sites, and offered mental health services to people coping with the trauma of sudden, repeated loss.

Reinforcing the health care system in Cabo Delgado

As the security situation across Cabo Delgado improved and some displaced people began returning home, MSF adapted our activities, shifting from emergency response to the reinforcement of existing health facilities. At Mueda Rural Hospital, MSF teams provided medical personnel, supplies, and technical support for emergency care, as well as diagnosis and treatment for HIV and tuberculosis, referral services, and maternal, pediatric, and neonatal care. 

MSF worked in health centers serving displaced and host communities in Nangade and Muidumbe. Our teams also trained and reinforced networks of community health workers and health promoters, strengthening community-based health surveillance and improving continuity of care and early detection of health issues.

In 2024, as the situation continued to stabilize and health facilities resumed functioning, MSF began a phased handover of activities to the Ministry of Health and local partners. Efforts focused on building clinical and pharmacy capacity among health staff, who were trained in emergency preparedness and surveillance systems, care for chronic diseases and mental health, and referrals for victims of gender-based violence. We also donated stocks of essential medical supplies to support ongoing health care services.

The latest crisis reveals, yet again, the fragility of the situation in northern Mozambique and the continued challenges people face in accessing health care. 

While MSF’s activities in Mueda have concluded, the humanitarian needs remain high across Cabo Delgado province. Both displaced people and host communities still face limited access to health care, and the risk of sudden displacement persists with every spark of violence. We remain committed to responding to evolving needs and to providing medical and humanitarian assistance to people across Mozambique. 

Volatility persists in Cabo Delgado

Despite stabilizing in 2024, the flare-up in the conflict in late 2025 was a stark reminder that the situation in Cabo Delgado remains volatile. Attacks by an armed group and clashes with local and regional forces triggered yet another wave of displacement of people across the region. More than 90,000 people fled in just the last few months of 2025, with around 23,000 people arriving in Mueda by October. Many had already been displaced multiple times, and some found themselves returning to the very camps they had left behind.

MSF scaled up our response once again, providing medical services in Eduardo Mondlane, Nandimba, and Lianda camps, while extending outreach to communities like Nanili on the border with Mocímboa da Praia district. Our teams strengthened infection prevention and control measures and facilitated referrals for people requiring urgent care, and expanded mental health services to address the cumulative psychological toll of cyclical displacement and prolonged insecurity. 

MSF in northern Mozambique

MSF continues to provide vital health care services to host communities and people coping with violence and displacement in northern Mozambique. In Cabo Delgado, MSF runs projects in Mocímboa da Praia, Macomia, and Palma. We provide general outpatient consultations, emergency care, maternity and pediatric services, treatment for HIV and tuberculosis, and mental health and psychosocial support. In Nampula, we are running an emergency intervention in Érati district and supporting the Ministry of Health in handling a cholera outbreak in Nacala.