ALMA update on the Mozambique insurgency in the Province of Cabo Delgado: #Pray4Cabo
Many in London saw the shocking news report on Friday 12 March on BBC News at 10 on the deteriorating situation in Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique. The link to the film report can be viewed here.
The human cost of the Insurgency, with the number of Internally Displaced People rising to almost 700,000, is incalculable. Many have witnessed the horror and arrive further south traumatised. The majority, an estimated 90 per cent (with the other 10 per cent in camps) are staying with relatives and friends in vastly swollen households so there is real pressure on food supplies with hunger predicted. There have been incidences of cholera too.
On Saturday 13 March our partner Bishop, Bishop Manuel Ernesto, who is Bishop of the Missionary Diocese of Nampula (which covers the northernmost provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula) was interviewed by BBC News Africa, which can be viewed online.
Since 16 March, Save the Children published their report with the shocking headline “Young as 11 brutally murdered in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, as conflict intensifies”, read the report here. It was was also covered in today’s Guardian Newspaper (17 March).
We ask you to hold Bishop Manuel Ernesto, our partner Bishop in the Missionary Diocese of Nampula, which covers the two northern Provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula, and his team in your prayers. They seek to minister to the huge number of internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) in Pemba and Nampula cities and many smaller towns, as well as those in IDP camps.
ALMA has sent £7,000 and £2,000 for mosquito nets, to help local churches minister to IDPs in their midst with essentials and also, listening support as IDPs share their stories. We are aware this is so little in face of the enormity of the challenge and are thankful for the UN agencies and others working in the region
In January, Bishop Manuel spoke at a Zoom ALMA Meeting, where he shared with the attendees the three major challenges his diocese faces:
- Conflict and the IDPs
- Climate Change and Cyclone Kenneth
- Covid-19
This is available as a podcast and may be something you can share in your churches. This can be found here.
The ALMA team post regular updates on the Cabo Delgado Insurgency on our Twitter Feed at @ALMALondonD and on Facebook ALMA London and they will share more in the Spring Newsletter available via Mailchimp newsletter. Please do sign up for the Subscribe link.