标签： Africa

Mozambique is grappling with its most devastating flooding event in a generation, as relentless rainfall over two weeks has submerged vast regions of south and central Mozambique. The catastrophic inundation has prompted massive international rescue operations, with emergency teams from Brazil, South Africa, and the United Kingdom assisting in life-saving efforts.

According to provisional data from Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction, the flooding has affected 642,122 people since January 7th, with at least 12 flood-related deaths recorded. The overall death toll since the rainy season began in October has reached 125 people.

The Inkomati River’s breach of its banks has been particularly destructive, forcing residents like 24-year-old mechanic Tomaz Antonio Mlau and his family to abandon their home near Marracuene, approximately 30 kilometers north of the capital Maputo. “For me, this is the first time I have experienced a calamity of this magnitude,” Mlau stated, noting that elders recall similar devastation occurring in the 1990s.

Thousands of displaced citizens have found temporary refuge in six emergency centers established in schools and churches throughout the region. At Gwazamutini Secondary School alone, approximately 4,000 people are receiving shelter, primarily farmers from low-lying agricultural areas who have lost everything to the rising waters.

Sixty-seven-year-old rice farmer Francisco Fernando Chivindzi described the unprecedented scale of the disaster: “The floodwaters reached heights we weren’t expecting. We have never experienced this level of flooding in my lifetime.” Like many others, Chivindzi lost his home, possessions, and livestock in the deluge.

Rescue operations face significant challenges as some residents refuse to evacuate danger zones, clinging to treetops and rooftops to protect their property. Marracuene municipality Mayor Shafee Sidat reported that more than 10,000 people are affected in his district alone, with rescuers struggling to reach those who resist evacuation.

The crisis is expected to worsen as heavy rains in neighboring South Africa threaten to release additional water from dams into the Inkomati River system. Mayor Sidat expressed grave concern: “We are worried about discharges of a South African dam on the Inkomati River. Our town is the last one downstream before the waters flow into the Indian Ocean.”

The flooding has severely disrupted transportation, with all vehicles banned from roads between Maputo and Gaza provinces after the N1 highway—the country’s primary north-south artery—became impassable. This suspension has triggered supply chain disruptions, resulting in shortages and price increases for basic foodstuffs and fuel as far away as Tete, over 1,500 kilometers from the capital.

For those in emergency shelters, food scarcity remains a pressing concern. Aninha Vicente Mivinga, a police officer and mother of two, described the initial food shortages: “It was painful to see children sleeping without anything to eat, except biscuits.” While conditions have improved, adequate nutrition remains uncertain for many displaced families.

The education system faces significant disruption, with Education Minister Samaria Tovela indicating that the cabinet may reschedule the start of the 2026 academic year to allow schools to continue serving as accommodation centers for flood victims.

As recovery efforts continue, residents face uncertain futures. While some like Chivindzi remain determined to “restart life from scratch” in their home communities, others like Mlau express hesitation about returning to flood-prone areas even after waters recede, highlighting the long-term challenges Mozambique will face following this unprecedented natural disaster.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, faces a catastrophic resurgence of violence that has displaced approximately 180,000 civilians and triggered alarming humanitarian concerns. The renewed conflict, concentrated in Jonglei state north of the capital Juba, marks the effective collapse of the 2018 power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and his former vice-president Riek Machar.

Eyewitness accounts describe indiscriminate aerial bombardments utilizing barrel bombs, with civilians fleeing into swamps for safety. Daniel Deng, a 35-year-old displaced resident of Duk County, reported approximately 300 combatant fatalities during recent clashes, though these figures remain unverified. ‘I am stuck, and if worse comes, the only safe place for me to go is the swamps,’ Deng told AFP via telephone.

The political crisis deepened significantly when Machar was arrested in March 2025 and now faces trial for alleged crimes against humanity. This development effectively terminated the fragile coalition government that had maintained relative stability since the civil war that claimed 400,000 lives following the country’s 2011 independence.

Humanitarian organizations report catastrophic conditions for displaced populations. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirms widespread looting and burning of homes and medical facilities across four Jonglei counties. Médecins Sans Frontières operations manager Gul Badshah warned from Nairobi that supply shortages have reached critical levels, stating bluntly: ‘We don’t have the supplies… Kids will die; it’s as simple as that.’

The violence has created extensive ‘red zones’ where humanitarian access remains completely blocked. Bol Deng Bol, a local civil society leader, reported continuous civilian movement toward Bor, the state capital, as military mobilization suggests imminent escalation. The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan member Barney Afako characterized the situation as ‘a dangerous escalation which could put the country into another dangerous spiral of violence.’

Despite substantial oil reserves, systemic corruption has left South Sudan among the world’s poorest nations. World Food Programme data indicates approximately 7.7 million of its 12 million citizens faced food insecurity as of April 2025, a situation now dramatically worsened by the current conflict.

In a significant geopolitical shift, India and the European Union are finalizing a comprehensive free trade agreement, strategically timed to counter growing global trade volatility. The pact, dubbed the ‘mother of all deals,’ represents a decisive move to establish stable trade corridors amid increasing unpredictability in US trade relations under the Trump administration.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa have arrived in New Delhi for the 16th EU-India Summit on January 27, where officials anticipate announcing the conclusion of negotiations that have spanned nearly two decades. While formal signatures may follow later, the political commitment marks a watershed moment in EU-India relations.

The agreement emerges against a backdrop of escalating US tariff pressures, with some Indian exports facing duties as high as 50%. This environment has transformed the EU-India negotiation from a conventional economic initiative into a strategic safeguard mechanism. The partnership aims to secure predictable trade rules, diversify market access, and reduce vulnerability to abrupt policy changes from traditional partners.

The scale of existing trade underscores the agreement’s potential impact. Two-way goods trade between India and the EU reached approximately $136 billion in FY2024/25, making the bloc India’s largest goods trading partner. The proposed FTA would expand this economic corridor across multiple sectors—from industrial goods to services—while addressing persistent non-tariff barriers and regulatory friction.

This development reflects India’s broader ‘portfolio approach’ to trade diplomacy, systematically building bilateral agreements to broaden market access and attract foreign investment. A recent example includes the ambitious agreement with the UAE, targeting a doubling of bilateral trade to $200 billion within six years after surpassing $100 billion under the CEPA framework.

Despite the breakthrough, sensitive issues remain unresolved. Agriculture remains politically contentious, with the most sensitive agricultural matters temporarily excluded from negotiations. Additionally, Europe’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) presents concerns for Indian industries fearing new carbon-based charges on exports.

The EU has simultaneously pushed for stronger intellectual property protections and data governance assurances. Beyond commercial elements, the summit is expected to yield a comprehensive strategic package including defense cooperation, information security agreements, and mobility frameworks covering skilled workers, students, and researchers.

Trade analysts characterize the impending agreement as India’s clearest signal yet of its strategy to build overlapping trade alliances as economic shock absorbers. In an era of tariff threats and shifting trade blocs, both New Delhi and Brussels appear determined to establish a historic economic corridor before the next wave of global trade turbulence emerges.