Mozambique has ordered residents in the low-lying areas of Inhambane, Gaza, and Sofala provinces to evacuate immediately, as authorities anticipate a potential second wave of catastrophic flooding.
The National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) president, Luísa Meque, has reportedly urged communities to move to higher, safer ground and remain vigilant. Technical teams are currently deployed in the affected regions to monitor conditions and reinforce preventative measures, the African Press Agency reports.
Authorities have already pinpointed sites to accommodate those displaced, should the need arise to open emergency shelter centres.
This urgent call comes as the country struggles through one of its deadliest rainy seasons in recent memory, which typically lasts until April. Since October, floods and storms have claimed the lives of approximately 280 people and impacted nearly 900,000 others, according to INGD figures.
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The extent of the devastation includes the destruction of more than 15,000 homes, alongside damage to hundreds of schools, health units, and places of worship.
Recent disasters compound the current humanitarian crisis. Flooding in January was responsible for at least 43 deaths. Cyclone Gezani, which struck Inhambane in the middle of February, resulted in four additional fatalities and displaced thousands of residents.
The agricultural sector has also been ravaged, with over 267,000 hectares of farmland lost and more than half a million livestock killed. The ongoing threat of further storms before the season ends in April raises serious concerns that the humanitarian situation will worsen.
