Weeks of relentless rains and swelling rivers across central and southern Mozambique have left entire communities submerged, forcing families from their homes and exposing urgent gaps in shelter, food and basic services.
Severe flooding that began with weeks of heavy rainfall in December and intensified in January has turned roads into rivers, flattened crops and ruptured homes in central and southern Mozambique. Government authorities and United Nations agencies say the deluge has now affected nearly 700,000 people, with more than 100,000 displaced into overcrowded temporary shelters.
In Gaza Province, one of the hardest-hit regions, entire neighbourhoods were submerged, forcing families to climb onto rooftops and tree branches to escape rising water. The flooding has also isolated much of the transport network, cutting supply routes and complicating emergency aid delivery.
Santos Pedro Gotine, Secretary General of Caritas Mozambique, described the scene as “extremely complex and challenging,” noting that while river levels in some areas have begun to retreat, others continue to rise, keeping many families in limbo as they wait for assistance.
Families sheltering in schools, community halls and makeshift camps report deteriorating conditions, with limited access to clean water, sanitation and reliable food supplies. Health agencies warn that overcrowding and lack of basic services raise the risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera and acute diarrhoea.
The United Nations launched an emergency appeal for $187 million on Jan. 30 to support the response, focusing on shelter, safe water, emergency healthcare and protection services for the most vulnerable families. Mozambique’s National Disaster Risk Management Institute highlighted urgent needs for food, health care and restoration of infrastructure.
Across the affected provinces, parents like Maria Nhantumbo of the Chókwè district describe watching their homes disappear as floodwaters surged. “We lost our house, our fields are underwater, and our children are frightened,” she said, gesturing toward children taking shelter under tarpaulins in a crowded community centre. Humanitarian workers on the ground say such stories are all too common. (Interview conducted by a local relief reporter.)
While rains have slowed in some areas, forecasters warn that seasonal rainfall patterns could continue to fuel high water levels into February. Aid agencies are expanding efforts to reach remote communities, but logistical challenges and funding shortfalls are hampering the scale of response.
Efforts by regional partners, including emergency teams from the Southern African Development Community, are coordinating with Mozambican authorities to strengthen evacuation, health outreach and distribution of emergency supplies, as families contend with the loss, trauma and uncertainty these floods have brought. (Statements from SADC relief coordination officials.)