Almost 500 smaller Mozambicans rescued and reunited with families

Amozambican authorities rescued and reunited with their families almost 500 minor victims of premature union in the first six months of 2026, especially in the provinces of Zambézia and Nampula.

According to data from a government report on the implementation of social policies in the first semester, which Lusa had access to today, in this period 498 children were “reunified to their families who were victims of premature unions, from a plan of 524”, corresponding to a 95% achievement of the target.

Of this total, 135 children were reunited in Zambézia, in the center, and 128 in Nampula, in the north. Among other provinces, still 84 cases in Manica, in the center, 43 in Inhambane and 41 in Maputo, in the south.

The Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Word Vision – Mozambique (WV-Moç) announced in 2025 that 907 Mozambican children suffered sexual violence and premature unions in the first half of that year, calling for “redouble efforts” in the protection of minors.

“ The data have reinforced the need and importance of redouble efforts now underway for the protection of children, especially those in situations of extreme vulnerability ", said that NGO, in a statement, adding that the data were collected by the Child Speech Line (CFL), of support in these cases.

The data also show that in the ranking of the three provinces with the highest rate of premature unions are Zambézia, Cabo Delgado and Sofala.

Mozambique is the second country with more cases of premature unions in southern Africa, with 48% of girls getting married before the age of 18 and 14% before the age of 15, also according to a report of 2025 by the NGO Oxfam, which also points to the tenth country in the world and the seventh in Africa with the highest rates of these unions.

The study refers as causes for this scenario factors such as poverty, natural disasters and armed insurgency in northern Mozambique.