Africa-Press – Mozambique. A provisional survey indicates that 328 primary schools and eight secondary schools have been destroyed by war in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, the Ministry of Education has announced.
“1.5 billion meticais [20 million euros] are needed” for the recovery, said Gina Guibunda, spokeswoman for the ministry, quoted by local media on Thursday after the opening of the sector’s Coordinating Council, taking place since Wednesday in Chidenguele, in the south of the country, a meeting that brings together various stakeholders in the area to take stock of activities in the country.
The spokeswoman clarified that the survey concerns four of the districts most affected by the armed conflict: Mocímboa da Praia, Palma, Quissanga and Macomia.
Cabo Delgado is a province rich in natural gas, but terrorised since 2017 by armed rebels, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.
The conflict has led to more than 3,100 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and more than 817,000 displaced people, according to Mozambican authorities.
About half of the displaced are young people and children, many of whom should be attending school, warn humanitarian agencies.
According to Ministry of Education figures from late 2020, at least six teachers have died during the conflict.
Since July, an offensive by government troops with the support of Rwanda, later joined by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has increased security, recovering several areas where there was a rebel presence, including the town of Mocímboa da Praia, which had been occupied since August 2020.
