Despite the rescue success in the flooding, which has ravaged Mozambique since mid-December 2025, victims are now facing a growing shelter and health crisis.
A burgeoning health issue is unfolding, with flood survivors being squeezed into an open-air camp, especially in southern Mozambique. Some families are squeezed into a single, 100-square-meter shelter, residents say.
Health experts are describing the inadequacy in shelter and health facilities as a breeding ground for disease. The sheer density of the population, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, has made basic hygiene nearly impossible.
A report from Light for the World Mozambique website quoted a woman named Graça from Dam Village in one of the tents saying that she struggled to manage many families and people seeking shelter.
She said her tent currently housed four separate families, each with at least five members.
“I have lost count of my own family,” Graça said of the horrible situation they are facing. “I can’t say for sure, there are so many of us,” she said, referring to the huge shelter gaps they are facing.”
She added that they do not even have latrines. Families are forced to trek to the nearby scrubland, the same riverbanks that flooded their homes.
“We have no other choice,” one resident explained. “When we need to relieve ourselves, we take a hoe, go into the bush, dig a small hole, do what we must, and then cover it up.”
Xai-Xai, Maputo, Gaza, Sofala, and Búzi provinces are the worst hit by the flood. About 643,331 people were affected—equivalent to 122,420 families—105 deaths, and 97 injuries, according to the Mozambique National Institute of Disaster Management.
While search-and-rescue operations are intensifying, rainfall is likely to worsen flooding in southern Mozambique. More than half of those affected, approximately 330,000 people, are in Gaza Province, where the most urgent needs include shelter, food, and basic hygiene.
One of the survivors, Maria Tasha from Chiokwe Camp, said this season’s flood is devastating as her family lost all their belongings, adding that they have nowhere to call home.
Also from the same camp, Machel Motula said that, even though they had left earlier, everything had been abandoned, adding that they are now living without shelter or healthcare services.
“All our food and clothes were swept away by the water, and the only things I managed to get away with were my children,” she said.
Inadequate shelter also forced a pregnant woman, Erica Raimundo Mimbir, to give birth at a flooded healthcare centre.
A displaced woman, Angelina Machava, said they had suffered from Josina Island after the water submerged their houses.
She said the rescue operations helped them, and they were flown to 3 De Feveriero. After that, they took us to this school,” she said. According to her, “There is nothing left there, and we don’t know if we will find a place to stay when we return home.
“We have no place to sleep, no blankets, and the Island is devastated,” she added. Machava’s words were corroborated by Salvador Machecane, an official from Josina Island. Machecane said they had to move into the non-residential areas to help the people.
However, despite surviving, a displaced woman, Raqualina Temele, said existence is now a daily battle against illness, a lack of shelter, and other shortages.
She said that even though rainfall has paused, the receding waters bring a new set of perils. “The rain has stopped for now, but as the water goes down, the difficulties begin,” Temele said.
According to her, “There are so many people in the camps, and we are ill with diarrhoea and other sicknesses. “There is not enough food for everyone. It’s incredibly difficult,” she said.
Aid organisations have moved quickly to provide help, but there has been no special treatment for people with disabilities.
People with disabilities are more likely to die or be severely impacted in crises. They often struggle to evacuate safely during rapidly rising floodwaters, with accounts describing difficulties for older people and persons with disabilities in escaping to higher ground.
Emergency accommodation centres and aid distribution facilities are frequently not designed to meet the needs of people with physical disabilities, lacking physical accessibility.
This makes it difficult for them to access essential services such as food, shelter, and medical care. Most of the people with disability and the elderly don’t have access to a latrine.
Crucial information about emergency assistance is often not provided in accessible formats, which can prevent disabled individuals from knowing where to go for help or how to stay safe.
Country Director for Light for the World Mozambique, Zacarias Zicai, said, “We know people with disabilities are more likely to die and be affected in crises, and we must act now to ensure they are protected and have equal access to all humanitarian assistance.
“This emergency exacerbates existing vulnerabilities, as many communities are still recovering from successive extreme weather events, including flooding and cyclones.
In the emergency response to this crisis, information about emergency assistance must be communicated in accessible formats, emergency centres must be physically accessible and assistive devices must be provided to those who need them. We must ensure people with disabilities are not left behind,” he added, calling for assistance for the elderly.
A representative of The United Methodist Church’s Missouri-Mozambique partnership, Ezequiel Marcos Nhantumbo, stressed the need for shared efforts at the local and partner levels to help the elderly and people with disabilities
In a report from the Church website, he said their needs include food, water, mineral water and solar-powered wells for accommodation centres, disposable plates and spoons, mattresses, blankets, hygiene products, flashlights, small radios, medicines, biscuits, clothes, capulanas (wrapping sheets), bed sheets, mosquito nets and psychological help for trauma after the disaster.
“Next, it will be necessary to rebuild chapels and pastoral houses destroyed by the storm,” Nhantumbo said.
“The floods worsen existing challenges faced by disabled individuals, who already experience difficulties in accessing basic services and participating fully in society,” said a health expert, Dr Luis Mauricio.
Mauricio described the situation as crushing. “We urgently require provisions to share. We need potable water,” he said. According to him, “We need places for people to stay, as there is no personal space. We need medical supplies.”
According to Mauricio, children, from infants to adolescents, are arriving with severe ailments. “Currently, we are encountering numerous instances of diarrhoea, vomiting, and malaria. “These illnesses are persistent, causing immense suffering among the population,” he said.
The rising waters have destroyed critical infrastructure, cutting off communities and preventing the delivery of essential aid.
A man who only gave his name as Simon said he had been adrift for two weeks. According to him, he is unable to reach his home or proceed further. “I have no idea when I will be able to return home. We are still waiting for the water to subside,” he said.
World Vision has been distributing vital assistance, including emergency packages containing food, safe drinking water, and basic housing materials, to affected families. World Vision Mozambique said it is currently finalising an emergency response plan to address the gaps in Gaza Province.
“World Vision Mozambique has identified Food Security, Livelihoods, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Protection, Education, and Shelter as priority sectors for its response,” said Angelo Pontes, Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Manager. “The field office is actively engaging with donors, government authorities, and humanitarian partners to mobilise resources, enhance coordination, and finalise a comprehensive World Vision response plan.”
The Mozambican Government is leading the emergency response, despite significant financial and technical constraints. The government established a Mobile Emergency Operations Centre (CENOE) in Gaza Province to oversee coordination across all affected areas.
Additionally, Provincial Emergency Operations Centres are actively supporting decentralised efforts in Gaza, Maputo, and Sofala. The National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD) has also continued to move individuals to safer locations.
“Temporary shelters are accommodating 60,800 people, and efforts are underway to manage overcrowding,” a government official, Shafi Sadad, said. He said they are working hard to ensure that basic services are available within the facilities. Search-and-rescue operations are ongoing, but access remains a significant challenge due to inundated and damaged roads. The Regional Emergency Programme has allocated $20 million in emergency funds, enabling governments to deploy immediate relief efforts. Mozambique requested this $20 million following extensive damage in Maputo, Gaza, and Sofala provinces, it was gathered.
An analyst in Mozambique, Dr Wilker Diaz, said the country has a long history of natural disasters. Despite the signs and warnings, the government has not put serious measures in place. In an interview, Diaz said, “We haven’t found effective solutions to provide early alerts to people in the most affected areas,” he said.
Addressing immediate humanitarian needs, Dr Diaz stated, “Clean water is paramount.” According to him, food is a close second. “For many people, food is the next crucial concern. “But I believe we must continue rescue efforts, because I received information that suggests we might face a second wave of flooding.” “We have received more water from Zimbabwe, I believe, and people in the Gaza districts, particularly Chókwè, may again be impacted by this inflow of water,” he added.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has announced that it has committed $20 million for the response. This financial aid is being provided as part of the Bank’s Regional Emergency Preparedness and Inclusive Recovery Access Programme (REPAIR).
The Mozambican government has identified a funding gap of approximately $103.3 million (6.6 billion meticais) needed to address humanitarian needs, according to government reports.
Humanitarian partners are also seeking $187 million to assist over 600,000 people.
The World Food Programme (WFP) alone requires $32 million for food and nutrition assistance for the next three months. There are reports of shrinking international aid and cooperation amid increasing needs.
Also, the U.S. has provided $1 million in disaster response assistance, and Norway allocated $2 million for shelter, clean water, sanitation, search and rescue, and direct financial assistance.
The European Union has delivered 88 tons of humanitarian supplies, valued at approximately $552,000, focusing on health, water, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, education, and child protection, with further shipments planned. The EU has allocated €950,000.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is scaling up to provide life-saving food assistance to 450,000 people. The funds will be directed through primary agencies spearheading the emergency effort. They are, National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources.
The United Kingdom sent specialised rescue units from the West Midlands Fire Service. Complete with boats and advanced rescue gear, it is to help communities devastated by the floods.
Regional aid has also arrived from the Southern African Development Community (SADC). SADC said it sent specialists in search and rescue, logistics, public health, and emergency management.
Countries in Southern Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, must remain on alert. Already, in South Africa, a report released by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) showed that floods have ravaged some districts around the Limpopo area.
Data from Mopani District Municipality, which comprises Greater Tzaneen, Greater Giyani, Phalaborwa, Letaba and Maruleng, shows serious devastation. It is estimated that 1,606 households were affected, according to the SADC website report. Five people died, and one is still missing in a South African district alone.
A report obtained by this paper shows that the SADC region is likely to receive normal to above-normal rainfall. It is for most of the period from February to June 2026, except for the entire western coastal areas and the north-eastern parts of the SADC Region.
“Below normal rainfall is expected only over Mauritius during the April to June (AMJ) 2026 period, Ms Duduzile Nhlengethwa-Masina, Permanent Representative (PR) of the Kingdom of Eswatini with WMO and Director of Eswatini Meteorological Services, said in the report.
“What is happening in Mozambique should be a wake-up call to all the Southern African States. They must build flood-resistant infrastructure, improve drainage systems, and incorporate flood risk assessments into urban development plans to minimise physical damage.
“They should also empower local communities through training, develop community-led action plans, and conduct regular drills to improve local response capabilities,” said Professor Jasper Knight, insisting that climate change is behind the disaster.
He said the countries should design emergency shelters, aid distribution, and information dissemination to be accessible and inclusive of people with disabilities, older people, women, and children from the outset.
Scientists have developed an AI weather forecasting system that can predict thunderstorms, according to a Reuters report filed by Kate Turton. Even though the AI tool was unveiled in Hong Kong, it can predict intense downpours up to 4 hours in advance, which could help Mozambican authorities.
