Heavy flooding in Mozambique is turning unsafe water and hunger into life-threatening dangers for children, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned. Weeks of intense rainfall have triggered widespread flooding, destroying homes, schools, and health centers—and with cyclone season just beginning, the crisis is set to deepen.
According to government data, more than 513,000 people have been affected so far—over half of them children. Some 50,000 people have fled their homes and are sheltering in 62 overcrowded temporary centers. Access to basics like clean water, healthcare, food, and education remains uncertain, leaving children at extreme risk of disease, malnutrition, and exploitation.
“Flooding is not just destroying infrastructure; it’s turning unsafe water, disease outbreaks, and hunger into deadly threats for children,” a UNICEF statement said.
Waterborne diseases combined with chronic malnutrition pose a particularly dire threat. Even before the floods, nearly four in ten Mozambican children were stunted. The new disruptions to food supplies and health services could push thousands toward acute or severe malnutrition—the most life-threatening form.
UNICEF teams are working with the government and humanitarian partners to respond rapidly. In Gaza Province, the hardest hit, teams are distributing essential supplies and helping restore safe water, sanitation, healthcare, education, and child protection services. In Sofala Province, water treatment and hygiene kits have reached at least 13,000 households in the four most affected districts, helping prevent disease outbreaks.
But the situation remains volatile. River levels are above alert limits and heavy rainfall continues, raising the threat of further flooding. Damaged roads and infrastructure are also hampering aid access.
“Timely support allows us to scale up safe water, nutrition, health, education, and protection services before conditions get worse,” UNICEF said. “What happens in the coming days will determine how many children survive this crisis and how many can recover and rebuild their futures.”
