Maputo, Feb. 6, 2026 (Lusa) - The UN acknowledged that the "scale and pace" of the emergency caused by the January floods in Mozambique exceeds available resources, calling for the mobilisation of $187 million (€158.7 million) for urgent assistance.
A report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), with data up to 3 February, states that "severe and persistent flooding has affected large parts of the country, particularly in southern and central Mozambique".
"Rivers have overflowed, communities have been displaced, and homes, schools, health facilities, water systems and roads have been damaged or destroyed (...). The United Nations and humanitarian partners are working closely with national and local authorities to strengthen national systems, enhance coordination and support the delivery of life-saving assistance," it added.
Since mid-January, these floods have affected more than 723,000 people in Mozambique, with 75,000 people still in shelters, in addition to a provisional death toll of 23.
The agency acknowledges that it has only been able to support 90,000 people so far, out of the 620,000 identified as needing safe food and other emergency support.
"The scale and pace of this emergency exceed available capacity. The addendum to the 2026 National Humanitarian Flood Response Plan seeks to mobilise $187 million to provide urgent and vital assistance to approximately 600,000 people affected by the floods," the OCHA report describes.
Of this total, $65.5 million (€55.5 million) is earmarked for strengthening food security and livelihoods, particularly in the more than 70 shelters still operating in the country, mainly in the south, and $28.4 million (€24.1 million) for shelters and tents.
More than 723,500 people have been affected by floods since January, according to the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD).
According to the latest update in the INGD database, as of 1:30 p.m. on Thursday (11:30 a.m. in Lisbon), floods in various parts of Mozambique have already affected the equivalent of 170,248 families.
Since 7 January, there have been 145 injuries and nine missing persons, in addition to 3,555 partially destroyed houses, 832 totally destroyed houses and 165,946 flooded houses, worsening the previous figures.
Since the beginning of the rainy season in October, including the January floods, there have been 182 deaths, 289 injuries and 844,932 people affected, according to INGD data.
On 16 January, the government declared a national red alert.
The European Union, the United States, Portugal, Angola, Spain, Timor-Leste, Switzerland, Norway, Japan and China, as well as neighbouring countries, have already announced and sent emergency humanitarian aid.
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