Search and rescue operations continue in Gaza and Maputo, the hardest-hit areas by ongoing floods in Mozambique.
Over a million people were displaced by prolonged rainfall which led to river overflows, dam spillages, flash floods of low-lying areas in Southern Africa, including Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, since October 2025.
In addition, floods have caused damage to critical infrastructure, and disrupted related services such as roads, electricity and water.
Farmlands are also submerged, increasing poverty.
The Government of Mozambique declared a Red Alert on 16 January 2026 and has appealed for humanitarian assistance.
According to the National Disasters Management Institute (INGD) in that country, 69 people were killed in the floods, while 6 are missing, and 74 were injured.
More than 111 000 people were displaced when 113 accommodation centres, were submerged.
In South Africa, the Government declared a State of National Disaster on 18 January 2026, following severe flooding in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.
Barbara Lopi, Spokesperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said search and rescue operations are undertaken by the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC), working closely with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), national disaster response and coordination structures, international partners such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) mechanism, to support Government-led national response efforts.
“The SADC ERT will support the Governments of Mozambique and South Africa by establishing a clear and comprehensive understanding of the humanitarian situation, response capacities, and priority needs, and to advise on how SADC can best provide targeted regional response. “
In total, about 100 people lost their lives in floods in the Region, since the start of 2026.
Video and photos: Courtesy of National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD) for the Republic of Mozambique.