MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2021) The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Tuesday expressed alarm over the violence against civilians from the town of Palma in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province as terrorists continue to hold the town hostage.
Islamic State terrorists (banned in Russia) attacked Palma last Wednesday, forcing residents, including some 2,000 foreign workers, to flee. Some people found refuge in Cabo Delgado's capital, Pemba, while others are still hiding in nearby forests. According to a local rights group, Women's and Girls' Association, the assault has already killed at least 57 people.
"UNHCR is deeply concerned by the violence committed against civilians in Palma, including against women and children, who account for most of the internally displaced people in the country," UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic said.
On Monday the agency managed to provide housing for displaced people arriving from Palma to Pemba on two planes jointly with the Save the Children NGO. The victims told the UNHCR about their failed attempts to reach the border with neighboring Tanzania for safety, and cases of "the extreme brutality of the insurgent group" towards civilians.
According to the agency, over 43,000 people have been displaced in the Palma town due to previous attacks in the� Cabo Delgado province, notorious for the Islamist insurgency, ongoing since 2017. Overall, at least 670,000 people have been displaced in Cabo Delgado and neighboring provinces of Nampula and Niassa since 2017.
UNHCR staff participates in humanitarian response activities to assist the victims and those displaced as a result of the attack in Palma, the statement read.
