Thousands facing hunger over Mozambique crisis - UN

The UN's World Food Programme says that an attack last month on the town of Palma in northern Mozambique has caused tens of thousands to flee the area - adding to a growing humanitarian crisis.

Dozens of people were killed in the five-day assault by jihadists. About 50,000 have been displaced - some to remote areas.

The WFP says many lack proper shelter, and malnutrition among children is on the rise.

The agency says close to a million people affected by the conflict in northern Mozambique are facing severe hunger.

"What we know is that people have been walking for days, some as many as five, six days. They've hidden in a bush, again without food and water, just escaping with what they have," says WFP's Shelley Thakral.

"So, when they're arriving in places looking for safety, looking for shelter, they are hungry, they are tired and they are traumatised by what they've also witnessed," she adds.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: AFP