The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, and the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Solutions for Internally Displaced People, Robert Piper, today called for a renewed international commitment to finding solutions for displaced people in Mozambique.

"Mozambique has faced significant challenges linked to the violence of non-state armed groups since 2017, as well as the adverse impacts of the climate emergency, resulting in more than 1.2 million internally displaced people," says a UNHCR statement.

The agency highlights the efforts made by the government to support displaced people in Mozambique, while striving to resolve the reasons for their flight.

"More than 600,000 people have returned to their areas of origin - many of them in 2023 - but the challenges remain. Many still lack basic services and adequate living conditions," the statement said.

On a joint visit to the country, the UN leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working with the government and other partners to strengthen solutions for the displaced in Mozambique.

Mozambique is a pilot country under the UN Secretary-General's Agenda for Action on internal displacement, an effort to review the way the UN system responds to protracted displacement, through government-led and development-anchored approaches to long-term solutions for internally displaced people.

"Mozambique is courageously paving the way for long-term solutions for thousands of displaced families, despite the complexity of a context where both violence and disasters are driving displacement, often in already highly vulnerable communities," said Piper. "I urge all international partners to support these efforts so that the gains made to date are not lost."

Piper and Grandi met with President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi and senior government officials in Maputo before visiting displaced communities in Cabo Delgado, where there have been recent renewed attacks by non-state armed groups, leading to the displacement of around 80,000 people.

"We need to go further, look beyond humanitarian aid and strengthen investment in the country's development - to create the conditions for lasting peace and a viable future for the displaced and their hosts," said Grandi.

"Security is fundamental. Security means security for citizens, feeling secure in their rights and having access to social security and services. The UN must continue to support the government's efforts to meet the needs of the people in the short and long term, while advocating for additional support for Mozambique."

More funding is needed in 2024 to protect and promote solutions for refugees and forcibly displaced families. The country's humanitarian appeal for 2024, of 413.4 million dollars, is less than 6 percent funded.