Floods Destroy Crops and Worsen Food Insecurity in Mozambique

Mozambique's south and central regions are experiencing heavy rains that are already causing localized floods and forcing families to find shelter in safe areas. 

Community members are again abandoning their production fields in Mozambique's central Zambezia province; 883 families were displaced, and their crops were compromised as rain continued to fall. 

In Tete province in the Mutarara district, the scenario is worsening, as the rains have not only destroyed the fields but are also making roads impossible to circulate, isolating communities, and preventing the National Institute for Disaster Management INGD and partners from distributing food aid in the district. 

As a result, residents have been left without food since December, including seasonal fruit, a must alternative to these periods, thus dragging the most vulnerable families to consume improper food to appease their hunger. 

Recently, the survivors of hunger imposed by the El Nino phenomenon benefited from seeds to grow and to take advantage of the rainy season, but the rains are falling more than required. Information yet to be confirmed indicates that some families are consuming seeds meant to grow for lacking other alternatives. 

In Gaza province, torrential floods have submerged over 28,000 hectares of farmland, destroying crops and livelihoods. More than 21,000 people, the equivalent of 4,000 families, now face severe hunger, with communities in Mabalane and Guijá, where World Vision has operations, among the most affected. 

Other than crops, several families have helplessly witnessed their cattle being swept away by powerful currents, reducing their capacity for alternatives to address the hunger that persists in the country. 

After two years of extreme drought caused by El Niño, families had high expectations for this year's rainy season. However, the heavy rains have devastated their fields instead of relief, further exacerbating food insecurity. 

World Vision Mozambique is actively engaged in evacuating flood-affected communities and ensuring the restoration of safe passage for movement. However, urgent support is required to prevent a full-scale humanitarian crisis. 

Communities are in critical need of food assistance, agricultural support, and safe relocation options.