Floods Displace More Than 300,000 People in Mozambique’s Gaza Province, Governor Says

More than 300,000 people have been displaced by severe flooding in Mozambique’s Gaza province, the provincial governor said on Monday, as weeks of torrential rain continue to batter southern Africa.

Authorities have reported that about 40 percent of Gaza province is now submerged, forcing mass evacuations from low-lying areas. In response to the crisis, Mozambican President Daniel Chapo has canceled his planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to the state-run newspaper Noticias.

Gaza governor Margarida Mapandzene Chongo said roughly 327,000 people are sheltering in dozens of temporary centers, including schools and churches. The southern province, home to about 1.4 million people, has seen widespread flooding and faces further risk as rivers continue to swell.

Humanitarian agencies had earlier warned that some 200,000 people could be affected nationwide, but officials now say the scale of the disaster has surpassed those estimates. Government spokesperson and Cabinet minister Inocencio Impissa said nearly 600,000 people have been affected across Gaza and neighboring Maputo province.

Authorities have ordered the evacuation of residents from low-lying parts of Gaza’s provincial capital, Xai-Xai, a city of around 115,000 people located along the Limpopo River. Videos posted on the city’s official Facebook page show floodwaters turning streets into rivers. In nearby Chokwe, images show homes almost entirely submerged, with only rooftops visible.

The flooding has been worsened by swollen rivers flowing in from South Africa and heavy rainfall in southern Zimbabwe, which Chongo warned would further aggravate conditions in Gaza. “The situation is likely to worsen,” she said.

Across the region, weeks of heavy rain have killed more than 100 people in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Large-scale rescue operations remain underway, particularly in Mozambique and South Africa.

Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction said about 110 people were rescued by helicopter on Sunday after being stranded in trees and on elevated ground. Those rescued included children, elderly people and a pregnant woman close to giving birth.

Transport and Logistics Minister João Matlombe said flooding has destroyed 152 kilometers (94 miles) of roads nationwide and damaged more than 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles). He added that about 40 percent of Gaza province remains underwater.

The cost of recovery in Mozambique is expected to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. In South Africa, the premier of one of the worst-hit provinces said flood-related damage there could total around $250 million.

Mozambique, a country of 34 million people on Africa’s southeastern coast, has suffered repeated climate shocks in recent years, including destructive cyclones and prolonged drought. Authorities have described conditions in three provinces as “critical” and issued a nationwide red alert, the highest weather warning level.