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In Mozambique, 363,606 internally displaced persons were registered in October, representing a 4% increase compared to the previous estimate. According to a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than half of the affected population are children.

This data was obtained as part of the 17th round of the IOM Multi-Sector Needs Assessment, which took place from September 14 to 28. The assessment identified 363,606 internally displaced persons, corresponding to 87,201 households. These individuals are distributed across 213 centers and sites nationwide.

The report compares current data with the results of the 16th assessment round, conducted in December 2025. The overall figure shows an increase of 4% in less than a year. This growth is attributed to the expansion of monitoring operations in new areas of Gaza and Inhambane provinces, as well as ongoing population movements related to instability in the northern part of the country.

Children constitute 55% of the displaced population, followed by women (26%) and men (19%). The organization also estimates that about 58,177 displaced persons live with some form of disability.

Cabo Delgado province, rich in gas and a scene of armed rebellion since 2017, continues to concentrate the largest share of the displaced population, hosting 205,921 people in 84 settlements. The IOM report notes that in 46% of these sites, most households lack access to functioning sanitation facilities, and in 88% of sites, displaced persons cannot afford sufficient food due to lack of financial means.

Furthermore, IOM indicates that in 74% of the sites assessed in Cabo Delgado, there are no safe spaces designated for women and girls.

Sofala is the second largest province with displaced persons, accounting for 95,385 people distributed across 34 settlements. Manica province hosts 28,646 displaced persons in 37 locations, mainly in the Sussundenga district. Among the main difficulties reported, issues with access to secondary education, civil documents, medical services, and electricity for lighting are highlighted.

According to the report, in all sites assessed in Manica, most households had at least one member without a civil document.

In the city of Maputo, 1,567 displaced persons were identified in nine settlements, while Maputo province hosts 4,300 displaced persons, also distributed across nine sites.

In both administrative units, the most frequently mentioned needs are financial support, income generation opportunities, and access to food.

The report also sheds light on the situation in Niassa province in the north, where the number of displaced persons has increased from 1,158 to 2,946. This rise is mainly linked to the consequences of heavy rains and floods recorded during the 2025/26 rainy season, which also affected the southern provinces of Gaza and Maputo.

At the national level, IOM concludes that the most urgent needs of the displaced population remain financial assistance, livelihoods, and nutrition. The organization advocates for enhanced access to drinking water, sanitation, healthcare, nutrition, and education, as well as protection for women, children, and people with disabilities, as Mozambique continues to face the combined impact of armed conflicts, extreme weather events, and prolonged displacement.

Mozambique's National Energy Fund (Funae) intends to complete ten electrification projects by the end of the first half of 2027. This decision was made after resource availability constraints affected the implementation of construction work and infrastructure maintenance.

The Chairman of Funae's Board of Directors, Mati Gondola, stated that the institution is reviewing priorities. The focus is now on projects with completion levels ranging from 60% to 70%. Additionally, another 12 projects, currently at 30% to 40% completion, are scheduled to be finished by the end of 2027.

Fundo de Energia is a state organization of Mozambique responsible for financing and implementing energy projects, particularly those aimed at expanding electricity access in rural areas. These projects include small stations, including solar ones, that operate off the national grid.

Gondola specified that the ten projects refer to those whose implementation is between 60% and 70% complete. Among the twelve projects at 30%-40% completion is the Lúrio project, located in Nampula province, northern Mozambique, where civil construction still needs to be finalized. According to Gondola, Funae already has the necessary funds, but a contract review with the contractor is underway due to disagreements over the cost of resuming work.

"But what is guaranteed is that we will electrify Lúrio. It is on our list of urgent tasks," the head stated, adding that a team will go to the site to assess the situation and ensure the project's completion.

Funae is also prioritizing the restoration of power plants that have been out of service due to breakdowns and have not supplied energy for two or three years. Restoring this infrastructure is part of Mozambique's efforts to increase electricity access, especially in rural areas and communities far from the main grid.

In October, the national director of energy, Marcelina Mataveia, pointed to demographic dispersion, vast territory, and financial limitations as major obstacles to expanding energy access. According to data from the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, Mozambique has reached an energy access level of 66.9%, of which 57.9 percentage points belong to the traditional grid, and nine percentage points to off-grid solutions.

Previously, Funae presented the National Program for Accelerating Electrification through Mini-grids (Promir), which involves installing 363 such facilities across the country with estimated investments of $250 million. Funding for 148 of these facilities is secured in the provinces of Nampula and Niassa in northern Mozambique, as well as Zambezia and Tete in the center.

The institution continues to evaluate projects where grid installation has advanced, but civil works are behind schedule. Funae recognizes the possibility of either renewing existing contracts or issuing new tenders to complete the infrastructure, depending on the specific case.

"First and foremost, finding resources. So that we can resume our activities," Gondola noted, speaking about mobilizing funding to restore installations and complete current projects.

In September, Mozambican President Daniel Chapo announced the creation of a coalition to attract 966.5 million euros designated for off-grid electrification, as part of the goal of universal energy access by 2030. The government plans to achieve approximately 2.5 million off-grid connections to meet this goal.