It covers 2,118 square kilometres (818 sq mi) with a population of 50,259 as of 2017.

[1] 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.

[2] Local residents have reported insurgents in the area committing acts of indiscriminate attacks, torture, arson, and the use of child soldiers.

[3][4] 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.

[3][4] As of March 2021, Quissanga District was inaccessible to United Nations officials due to the unrest.