Catastrophic flooding in southern Mozambique has forced more than 300,000 people from their homes in a single province, with authorities warning the situation is set to deteriorate further.
Provincial Capital Under Threat as Waters Rise
According to Gaza province governor Margarida Mapandzene Chongo, approximately 327,000 people are now sheltering in dozens of temporary centres set up in schools and churches. They fled areas either already flooded or under imminent threat within the province, which has a total population of about 1.4 million.
The crisis has prompted an urgent new evacuation order for everyone in the lower-lying parts of Xai-Xai, Gaza's provincial capital. This city of around 115,000 people lies beside the swollen Limpopo River and faces a serious new flooding threat. Videos shared on the city's official Facebook page show streets transformed into raging rivers.
National Response and Regional Impact
The severity of the disaster has led Mozambican President Daniel Chapo to cancel his scheduled trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The state-run newspaper Noticias confirmed the cancellation was due to the severe flooding impacting central and southern parts of the country.
Government spokesperson and Cabinet minister Inocencio Impissa revealed that nearly 600,000 people have been affected across the two provinces of Gaza and neighbouring Maputo. This figure surpasses earlier estimates from humanitarian organisations, who feared around 200,000 would be impacted.
The floods are part of a wider regional emergency. Weeks of torrential rain across parts of southern Africa have left more than 100 people dead in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Major rescue operations continue in Mozambique and South Africa.
Critical Infrastructure Damage and Long Road to Recovery
The physical and economic toll is immense. Transport and Logistics Minister João Matlombe stated that around 40% of Gaza province is submerged. Nationally, 152 kilometres of roads have been completely destroyed, with over 3,000 kilometres damaged. The cost of recovery for Mozambique is anticipated to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Authorities have issued a countrywide red alert warning, the highest possible level. The National Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction, coordinating rescue efforts, reported that helicopters rescued around 110 people trapped in trees or on high ground on Sunday alone. Those rescued included children, the elderly, and a pregnant woman about to go into labour.
Governor Chongo warned that “the situation is likely to worsen” in Gaza due to heavy rains in southern Zimbabwe, which will ultimately drain towards her province. Mozambique, a nation of 34 million on Africa's southeastern coast, has faced a brutal cycle of extreme weather in recent years, including devastating cyclones and drought.
