Violence expands, aid withdraws: The attack on chiúre amid the collapse of the humanitarian response in Cabo Delgado
The attack that began on the night of July 23, 2025, on the administrative post of Mazeze, in Chiúre district, Cabo Delgado, marks a new and alarming chapter in the prolonged armed conflict that has afflicted northern Mozambique since 2017.
The incursions in Micolene, Chiúre Velho, and Nantavo, including the destruction of essential civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, and police posts, triggered a new wave of internally displaced persons, placing further strain on the district capital of Chiúre, which already lacks the minimum capacity to receive this fleeing population.
The attack, which continued until the morning of July 24, represents a tragic milestone that illustrates the reconfiguration of the conflict, now reaching areas previously considered less exposed.
This episode unfolds against a backdrop of a sharp decline in international humanitarian aid, further exacerbating an already dire crisis. In 2025, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) classified Mozambique as the third most neglected humanitarian crisis in the world, behind only Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This landscape of abandonment coincides with a rise in armed violence and the withdrawal of civil protection mechanisms. At the same time, there is a dramatic reduction in humanitarian presence and funding, just when it is most needed.
In this article, CDD examines the background of the Chiúre attack, outlines the gravity of the events, highlights the collapse of the humanitarian response, and proposes urgent pathways for a coordinated response that prioritizes human rights, effective state presence, and international solidarity.
