Mozambique Floods: 400,000 Hit, Aid Workers Struggle

By 30 January 2026, heavy rains turned the Gaza province of Mozambique into a sprawling waterlogged terrain, submerging around 10,000 sq km—roughly the size of Cyprus—and leaving 400,000 residents trapped. Aerial aid crews from Mercy Air and local partners, including Water Aid’s Gaspar Sitefane, confronted miles of destroyed roads and villages now isolated on small dry patches. Hospitals, schools (431 affected, 80 used as shelters, 218 cut off) and hundreds of businesses lie underwater, while disease spread from standing water strains local clinics. Rescue teams have moved nearly 3,200 evacuees from Marracuene district, yet they must feed, hydrate and shelter the 420,000 students and countless families still cut off. Climate‑change‑driven floods continue to intensify the crisis.