| | Dear John, You might have heard about the brutal attacks that have forced thousands of people to flee their homes in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province in the past few weeks. But more likely you have not. And that is because this crisis remains a largely invisible and neglected emergency in the media. |
| But it’s not the scope or severity of the crisis that keeps this emergency out of headlines. We are talking about nearly 700,000 internally displaced people. We are talking about horrific violence such as beheadings and rape. We are talking about violence that specifically targets vulnerable civilians. We are talking about thousands and thousands of people who have lost everything. |
| People just like Suabo, who was forced to flee her home in Palma during the most recent attack in late March. Suabo and her daughter had to flee their home in a matter of minutes and were separated from the rest of their family. They managed to escape by boat and disembarked in Pemba a week later, together with some 1,100 displaced people who all arrived exhausted and with barely any belongings. |
| “From the boat, I could see armed men shooting at people. We managed to escape, but many other boats stayed captive,” Suabo said. Although she managed to reach safety, she is extremely worried after being separated from her husband and their three other children. |
| “They took away my home, my belongings, but worst of all, they took away my biggest gift in life – my family,” Suabo said. |
UNHCR is working on the ground, every single day, to protect people like Suabo who have been affected by this emergency. With support from donors like you, UNHCR...
- Provides psychosocial first aid to traumatized people
- Prevents sexual exploitation and abuse, and assists survivors of gender-based violence
- Distributes shelter materials to those forced to flee
- Traces and reunites lost family members
- Distributes relief items such as sleeping mats, blankets and kitchen sets
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Help us protect the most vulnerable. Help us save lives.
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