Maputo — Corrane (Mozambique), 5 Nov (AIM) – At least 92 families who have fled from terrorist attacks in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado have since Wednesday been hosted at the Corrane resettlement camp, in Meconta district, in neighbouring Nampula province.
The camp, about 80 kilometres from Nampula City, the provincial capital, hosts 338 people who had taken shelter in various places in Namialo town, which is also in Meconta. According to the local authorities, there are 34,700 displaced people from Cabo Delgado scattered over 18 districts, particularly Nampula city, Meconta, Erati and Nacala Port.
The Corrane camp, opened by the provincial government, covers an area of 1,500 hectares. 2,162 plots of land have been demarcated, to allow the displaced people to resume farming.
Antonio Comboio, a technical from the provincial government’s Environment and Territorial Development directorate, said the camp has four boreholes with safe drinking water and a medical centre.
40 year old Assamo Ferreira, clearly distressed after he had been forced to leave his home in the Cabo Delgado district of Macomia, said “the day they attacked, my wife and our six kids managed to run away to Namialo. Ever since, we have been living in a primary school classroom, totally overcrowded. When they asked who was willing to move into the camp, I was the first to accept, as the suffering was unbearable.”
In Macomia, Ferreira was a businessman and all he wants is to see the terrorist attacks coming to an end, because since May he has no news about those family members he left behind.
The Secretary of State for Nampula, Mety Gondola, who on Wednesday also visited the camp, said the government wants to have the displaced concentrated in the same area, for better and easy management of the resources channeled by the central government, cooperation partners and people of goodwill.
Gondola also said measures have been put in place to avoid human rights abuses, especially against children who account for about 54 per cent of the total number of displaced people.
He said the awareness of the host communities has been raised in order to offer a proper and welcoming environment, leading to a friendly relationship with those who have been forced out of their normal homes.
Source: Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique