Mozambique is confronting a severe humanitarian emergency as torrential rainfall across southern Africa has triggered devastating floods, displacing more than 300,000 people in Gaza province alone. Provincial Governor Margarida Mapandzene Chongo confirmed Monday that approximately 327,000 residents have sought refuge in temporary shelters established in schools and churches after fleeing submerged communities.
The crisis has escalated to such severity that President Daniel Chapo canceled his scheduled appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to oversee national response efforts. According to state-run newspaper Noticias, the flooding has severely impacted central and southern regions of the country, with Gaza province experiencing particularly catastrophic conditions.
Government spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Inocencio Impissa revealed that nearly 600,000 people have been affected across Gaza and neighboring Maputo provinces, significantly exceeding initial humanitarian projections of 200,000 impacted individuals. The provincial capital of Xai-Xai, home to approximately 115,000 residents, now faces imminent danger as authorities issue urgent evacuation orders for lower-lying areas adjacent to the overflowing Limpopo River.
Visual evidence from the city’s official Facebook page depicts streets transformed into raging waterways, while imagery from the nearby town of Chokwe shows floodwaters completely submerging buildings, with only rooftops remaining visible above the waterline.
The disaster forms part of a broader regional catastrophe that has claimed over 100 lives across Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe following weeks of relentless rainfall. Mozambican authorities attribute the worsening conditions to overflowing rivers originating in northern South Africa that subsequently breach their banks upon entering Mozambique.
Governor Chongo warned that the situation ‘is likely to worsen’ due to heavy precipitation in southern Zimbabwe that will ultimately flow toward Gaza province. The National Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction has issued a countrywide red alert—the highest emergency warning level—as rescue operations intensify.
Coordination efforts have already facilitated the helicopter rescue of approximately 110 people trapped in trees or elevated locations on Sunday, including vulnerable children, elderly individuals, and a pregnant woman nearing labor.
Transport and Logistics Minister João Matlombe reported that 40% of Gaza province remains underwater, with 152 kilometers of roads completely destroyed and over 3,000 kilometers damaged nationwide. Preliminary damage assessments suggest recovery costs could reach hundreds of millions of dollars, mirroring the approximately $250 million in damages reported in affected South African provinces.