Climate and conflict in Mozambique

Mozambique is one of the most unequal countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Combined with extremely high levels of poverty, this has created high levels of social tension. 

In October 2017 an extremist group, known as Ahlu Sunna Wal-Jama, launched attacks on the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

The group has since carried violent attacks on innocent people, government forces, and military installations.

The violent attacks have been concentrated on the coast of Cabo Delgado, from Pemba city to the Tanzanian border. But, as the violence increases further, it is now beginning to spread into provinces such as Niassa.

In November and December 2024, fresh attacks have caused more areas to become unsafe. As a result thousands more people have had to flee their homes.

Mozambique is facing a double crisis – conflict and climate change. Together they’re forcing more and more people to leave their homes, sometimes more than once.

In the north, violence in Cabo Delgado has already pushed hundreds of thousands of people to flee. But even after escaping the fighting, many families are displaced again. This time by extreme weather like cyclones, floods, and droughts.

Because of climate change, storms are getting stronger and more destructive. In 2019, two powerful cyclones – Idai and Kenneth – hit Mozambique just six weeks apart. That had never happened before. More recently Cyclones Chido, Dikeledi, and Jude made landfall within three months of each other. They destroyed homes and crops, leaving tens of thousands with nowhere to go.

These storms aren’t happening more often, but they are more intense, so more of them develop into cyclones.

People are losing their homes and belongings again and again, with barely any time to recover before the next crisis happens. Even those already living in temporary shelters are being hit by storms, making it even harder to rebuild their lives.

Farming and fishing communities are especially vulnerable, as their way of life depends on the land and sea. When floods destroy crops or storms damage boats and homes, people are left with no way to earn a living – and no choice but to move.

When they move, they often end up in overcrowded shelters or camps, with limited food, clean water, or healthcare. And the communities hosting them are struggling too, as more people arrive and resources run low.

Mozambique has done little to cause climate change, yet it’s one of the countries suffering the most. About 60% of its people live in low-lying coastal areas – right in the path of rising seas and extreme weather.