Mozambique Faces Devastating Floods: A Nation in Crisis

Tue Feb 03 2026 20:59:18 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Severe flooding in Mozambique, labeled the worst in a generation, forces thousands into treetops and temporary shelters. International aid teams assist in rescue operations amid rising waters.

Mozambique is grappling with catastrophic flooding, the worst seen in a generation, affecting over 650,000 people. Rescuers from Brazil, South Africa, and the UK are aiding locals as they flee rising waters that have submerged entire neighborhoods. Eyewitness accounts highlight the urgency to assist those stranded in dangerous conditions. Mayor Sidat warns of worsening conditions due to upcoming rain from South African dams. Food shortages and relocation challenges plague temporary shelters housing thousands of flood victims.

Tens of thousands of people in Mozambique are being rescued as rising waters continue to devastate the southern African nation – the worst flooding in a generation.

Teams from Brazil, South Africa, and the UK have been helping with life-saving rescue operations.

For me, this is the first time I have experienced a calamity of this magnitude. Elders say a similar disaster took place in the 1990s, 24-year-old mechanic Tomaz Antonio Mlau says.

Mlau and his family, who live near Marracuene - a town 30km (19 miles) north of the capital, Maputo - woke up to find their house inundated after the Inkomati River burst its banks.

When a rescue boat came a few hours afterwards, we did not hesitate to board it and come to safety in Marracuene town, he stated, adding they had to abandon all their belongings and only managed to bring a change of clothes.

They found refuge at a center sheltering about 4,000 people.

Many gathered at Gwazamutini Secondary School are farmers from low-lying areas.

We lost everything in the floodwaters, including houses, TV sets, fridges, clothing, and livestock - cattle, goats, and pigs. Our farms are under water, 67-year-old Francisco Fernando Chivindzi lamented. His home is in Hobjana, between the left bank of the Incomati River and coastal tourism resort Macaneta.

Mayor Shafee Sidat, who visited Gwazamutini on Saturday, noted, We still have people to rescue, some of whom refuse to abandon the risk areas. That's a challenge. We reckon more than 10,000 people are affected in Marracuene as a whole.

At least 642,122 people have been affected since January 7 by flooding, impacting southern and central regions, with 12 deaths recorded.

The mayor expressed concerns over worsening conditions due to heavy rain expected from neighboring South Africa, where discharges could escalate flooding. Education Minister Samaria Tovela suggested rescheduling the academic year to continue utilizing schools as shelters.

As rescue operations continue, food shortages are pressing, and efforts to assist families are gaining urgency amidst warnings of those still clinging to trees and roofs.