2025–26 Mozambique floods
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | December 2025 - Present |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 146 (as of 30 January 2026)[1] |
| Damage | 30,000 homes damaged or destroyed |
Southern Mozambique has been hit by severe flooding that by late January 2026 had left hundreds of thousands of displaced or otherwise affected people. Weeks of heavy rainfall in December and January overwhelmed key reservoirs and swelled rivers, affecting heavily populated areas around the Limpopo and Incomati rivers especially.[2] The flooding has so far affected 600,000-800,000 people and damaged or destroyed 30,000 homes by January 27 2026, according to Mozambique's National Disasters Management Institute.[2][3] Some of the hardest-hit cities include Maputo, Xai-Xai, and Chokwe.[2] The disaster is considered the worst flooding in a generation and its severity has led to comparisons to the 1997 Mozambique floods.[4] The state-owned Mozambique Railways (CFM) has lost three million US dollars following the suspension of services on the Limpopo line due to flooding.[5]
The disaster has caused rescue teams to be mobilized from Brazil, South Africa and the United Kingdom.[4] Portugal also dispatched a military contingent with supplies, experts and money channeled through Instituto Camões to help the beleaguered population.[3] Notwithstanding the heavy weather which has also caused serious damages in Portugal at this time, the Portuguese Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Ana Xavier has declared that "the Portuguese Government is once more committed to Mozambique and always on the side of the Mozambicans, despite being also focused on managing the bad weather in our country".[1] The Aga Khan Foundation also collected 20 tons of essentials at Lisbon to send to Mozambique.[1] Besides these, the European Union, the United States, Angola, Spain, East Timor, Norway, Japan and neighbouring countries have also sent emergency humanitarian aid to Mozambique.[1]
On the platform Zooniverse, people can help detecting road blockages with satellite imagery in order to help humanitarian organisations access affected regions.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Portugal anuncia para fevereiro mais ajuda às vítimas das cheias em Moçambique in RTP Notícias at rtp.pt.
- ^ a b c "Floods Inundate Southern Mozambique" in science.nasa.gov.
- ^ a b "Ajuda portuguesa a Moçambique inclui militares, peritos, material e dinheiro", 27 January 2026 in Observador at observador.pt.
- ^ a b Jose Tembe: "People cling to treetops as 'worst floods in a generation' sweep Mozambique" in BBC at bbc.com.
- ^ "Mozambique: CFM suffers losses of US$3 million due to flood-related service suspensions", 30 January 2026, in Club of Mozambique at clubofmozambique.com
- ^ "Planetary Response Network: Mozambique Flooding 2026". Zooniverse. Retrieved 2026-02-06.