from ARMANDO DOMINGOS in Maputo, Mozambique
MAPUTO, (CAJ News) – MORE than 2 000 children have been separated from their parents during the violence perpetrated by Islamists in northern Mozambique.
This includes 454 who have lost their parents in the most recent violence in Pemba in April.
Save the Children has documented the separation of 2 424 children from their parents since the conflict in the Cabo Delgado region started in 2017.
Lost birth certificates and a lack of schools are some other most pressing fears raised by children who have been displaced by the violence according to a new report launched on Thursday (today) by the organisation.
“Children are suffering disproportionately in this conflict and need special attention. We call on the donor community to ensure that funding for children’s needs are prioritized,” Chance Briggs, Save the
Children Country Director for Mozambique, said.
This includes funds for protection, health, education and to ensure children get the mental health support they need.
“Critically, we need donors to understand that education plays a role not only in providing children with skills for their future, but also gives kids a sense of ‘normalcy’, and helps protect them from things like early marriage,” Briggs said.
At least 800 000 people are now displaced in the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala and Zambezia as a result of violence and insecurity.
No less than 2 838 people are understood to have died in the conflict, including 1 406 civilians.
– CAJ News