MSF Suspends Medical Services in Northern Mozambique as Violence Surges
Mozambique’s conflict-scarred Cabo Delgado province has seen a sharp escalation in violence that has forced Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to suspend operations at a key district hospital, the international medical charity said Friday. The halt in services comes after weeks of armed incursions that have killed civilians, driven thousands from their homes and severed access to lifesaving health care in an already fragile region.
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Immediate disruptions and human cost
MSF said the latest attacks — among the most violent seen in the area in recent years — displaced nearly 5,000 people since early September and left entire communities cut off from medical care. The organisation stopped emergency, maternity, mental health and referral services at the unnamed district hospital as insecurity mounted, transferring some patients to provincial centres in Pemba and Mueda where possible.
“We are deeply concerned about the number of preventable deaths that will follow when people cannot reach care,” an MSF spokesperson said. “Our teams have done all they can, but the safety of our patients and staff must come first. We will return as soon as we can guarantee safe conditions.”
Health workers on the ground described chaotic evacuations and the hurried transfer of vulnerable patients. “The women in labour were terrified,” said one hospital nurse, who asked not to be named for security reasons. “We rushed them into cars and drove through checkpoints. Many of our colleagues stayed behind with the wounded because there was no time to move them.”
Conflict background and broader humanitarian strain
The violence in Cabo Delgado traces back to an insurgency that began in 2017, when armed groups seized towns and launched brutal attacks across the province. The conflict, which at times has been linked to extremist networks, has uprooted hundreds of thousands and strained local institutions. MSF pointed to an already overstretched system: roughly 430,000 people remain internally displaced in the northern provinces, according to humanitarian estimates cited by the group.
Medical services in the region have been under pressure for years. Clinics face shortages of staff, supplies and secure transport routes. When a primary hospital is forced to close, the ripple effects are immediate: expectant mothers lose skilled birth attendants; surgical patients cannot be stabilised; mental health support for survivors of violence disappears.
“This is not just about one hospital,” said a regional health official familiar with the response. “When facilities shut down, people delay seeking care, and simple conditions become life-threatening. The consequences will be felt for weeks and months.”
Humanitarian access, legal protections and international response
MSF reiterated its call for all armed actors to respect international humanitarian law, which obliges parties to protect civilians, medical personnel and health facilities. In conflicts around the world, attacks on health infrastructure have become an increasingly common tactic — with devastating public-health consequences in places from Yemen to Syria.
The humanitarian community has repeatedly cautioned that insecurity undermines vaccination campaigns, maternal care and responses to disease outbreaks. If clinics are inaccessible and health workers are driven out, the risk of preventable outbreaks and higher mortality rises.
International partners have at times intervened to stabilise Cabo Delgado: regional forces and bilateral deployments have helped push back militants in recent years, and development projects tied to gas discoveries along the coast have added geopolitical urgency. Yet those efforts have not removed the threat to remote districts where insurgents can strike with little warning.
Lives on the move
Displaced families now face impossible choices: stay near homes that are no longer safe, walk for days to reach larger towns with functioning hospitals, or remain in makeshift camps with limited sanitation and food. Humanitarian agencies warn that prolonged displacement can entrench poverty, hamper schooling and create long-term health problems.
“We left everything,” said a man who fled to a camp outside Pemba after the latest attacks. “We carried only what we could. My youngest needs medicine, but the clinic is closed. We feel forgotten.”
What happens next?
MSF said it would resume activities only once staff safety is guaranteed — a difficult threshold in a region where front lines are fluid and armed groups operate unpredictably. The suspension puts pressure on local authorities and international partners to secure corridors for aid and to find ways to protect essential services during waves of violence.
Beyond immediate security measures, the crisis raises broader questions about how to sustain health systems in chronic conflicts. Can temporary military solutions be paired with long-term investments in community health workers, supply chains and mental-health services? How can humanitarian agencies negotiate safe access while maintaining neutrality?
As the population of Cabo Delgado endures yet another rupture, residents and aid workers alike hope for a return to stability that will allow hospitals to reopen and displaced families to rebuild. For now, health providers say the clock is ticking: delays in care will cost lives.
By News-room
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
