The social crisis has worsened on the island of Quirimbas, in the archipelago of the same name and located in Cabo Delgado province, almost two weeks after the insurgents took control of it and carried out a massive looting of informal stores and homes, causing food shortages.

A publication by VOAHe says that the residents are resorting to watermelons and pumpkins for food, products that are becoming scarce in the agricultural fields.

The assault and control of Quirimbas Island - one of the most important islands in the archipelago of 30 coral islands in northern Mozambique - has paralyzed trade and the replenishment of products by sea, aggravating the already difficult food situation.

"Yes, really hungry. There's no food like that. There's no boat coming in or anything (to supply). The population is in a bad way, we have no way, we're only using the things we had in the fields, pumpkin, maçaroca, and if we run out of these products we're going to starve," said Assane Mulima, who has been hiding in an agricultural field since the invasion of the island on March 3.

According to the source, the insurgents are still roaming the island and causing fear, which is preventing fishermen from taking to the sea, their main source of income.

For her part, Issa Ali, also a refugee in an agricultural camp, said that her family has been trying to save the garden's resources, eating one meal a day so as not to starve to death, and fears that there are people who have already starved to death in the makeshift hiding places.

"I woke up in the morning, ate some watermelon and that's it. There's no flour here, no rice, nothing. Going fishing, we're afraid, the insurgents are there," said Issa Ali.

However, the administrator of Mocímboa da Praia, Sérgio Cipriano, said that the government and local businessmen are planning a "sea bridge" to transport supplies to the district and other regions in central and northern Cabo Delgado that are facing huge food shortages.