Geneva — Weeks of heavy rainfall have caused widespread flooding in southern and central Mozambique, forcing families from their homes and submerging entire neighbourhoods as rivers overflow, the United Nations said Friday.
The head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)'s Pemba office, Dr Andrew Mbala Peter, speaking by phone, said at a UN Press conference that data indicate that nearly 600,000 people have been affected by the floods.
Mozambique's government has declared a nationwide Red Alert on Jan. 16 and has appealed for international support, including air assets for search and rescue, logistical and technical assistance, and life-saving supplies.
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"More than 73,000 people are currently displaced across 71 accommodation centres, numbers that continue to rise as the situation evolves," said Peter.
"Gaza Province is the hardest hit, with significant concentrations of displaced people in Chiaquelene and Xilembene, hosting a combined total of 54,845 people."
At the same press conference, John Roche, who heads the Mozambique and Angola section of the International Federation of the Red Cross, said many areas in the southern African country are inaccessible.
"The widespread flooding across the country is now affecting 10 of Mozambique's 11 provinces," said Roche.
"Over half a million people have been impacted according to the latest estimates, many of them displaced from their homes, with livelihoods destroyed and access to basic services increasingly constrained."
- OVERCROWDED SHELTERS
Peter said that displaced communities are facing acute shortages of shelter and essential household items as accommodation centres become increasingly overcrowded.
Many families lack access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.
Additionally, food supplies and basic services are under severe strain, as infrastructure damage and access constraints disrupt aid delivery.
Health services and protection support remain limited, even as displacement and overcrowded conditions intensify risks.
The IOM is tracking displacement and priority needs through its Displacement Tracking Matrix, providing regularly updated, validated data to support targeted and coordinated response planning at both national and provincial levels.
The organization said it is deploying teams, including in Gaza Province, to support site management, community engagement, and coordination to improve conditions in accommodation centres.
These teams are working to strengthen protection referrals and to mobilize health, water and sanitation, protection, and services wherever access permits.
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The migration organization is also supporting evacuations, delivering shelter and essential household kits, distributing water purification supplies, and scaling up operations.
"In addition, we are channelling short-term subgrants to vetted Mozambican organisations, enabling them to reach communities in hard-to-access areas and extend assistance beyond formal accommodation centres," said Peter.
"Access remains one of the most serious constraints. Roads and bridges have been damaged or washed away, water levels continue to rise, and ongoing rainfall is limiting the movement of goods and personnel."
Such conditions are slowing the delivery of assistance, and the UN is working closely with authorities in Mozambique and partners to overcome the logjams and maintain life-saving operations.
