Quissanga District has been impacted by the Insurgency in Cabo Delgado, with the district's eponymous town of Quissanga being captured by insurgents in 2020. Local residents have reported insurgents in the area committing acts of indiscriminate attacks, torture, arson, and the use of child soldiers. As a result, a number of people once residing in Quissanga District have become internally displaced persons, fleeing to other regions, such as Pemba and Metuge. As of March 2021, Quissanga District was inaccessible to United Nations officials due to the unrest.