Overview

• Since January, Al-Shabab has escalated kidnappings, abducting more than 120 children in recent days across northern districts.
• Captured minors are coerced into transporting looted goods, performing forced labor, serving as fighters or entering forced marriages.
• Some abducted children were released earlier this year; dozens are still missing and returnees face reintegration challenges due to limited support.
• The insurgency has displaced over 1.3 million people and contributed to critical hunger levels for more than 5 million residents.
• Human Rights Watch, UNICEF, and the Norwegian Refugee Council urge Mozambique’s government to fulfill its obligation to protect children and fund community reintegration efforts.