The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a $1 million emergency relief grant to support Mozambique’s response to devastating floods that struck the country’s central and southern regions, particularly Maputo and Gaza provinces, in January 2026, according to a press release. The approval follows a formal request by the Government of Mozambique for emergency support to accelerate recovery operations. Financed through the Bank’s Special Relief Fund (SRF), the grant will deliver life-saving assistance to the most affected communities. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) will implement the relief project. The intervention aims to restore safety and dignity for affected households through rapid shelter and household support.
The initiative will deliver 9,000 emergency shelters and essential household kits, benefiting approximately 45,000 people, especially women and children. Activities include transportation, installation, storage, site preparation, hygiene promotion, and environmental cleaning. IOM has already reached 2,510 households, approximately 12,550 individuals, across Gaza and Maputo provinces under its emergency flood response project. The latest distribution on 19–20 May assisted 495 households at the Filipe Samuel Magaia Resettlement Centre in Boane District, Maputo Province. Earlier support reached 2,015 households in Xilembene community, Chókwè District, Gaza Province, between 31 March and 11 April.
Assistance comprised shelter and non-food item kits, including tarpaulins, blankets, mosquito nets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, and solar lamps. The distribution was accompanied by awareness-raising sessions on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Building Back Safer. Looking ahead, IOM and the Government have identified Mabalane and Manjacaze districts as the next priority locations for implementation. IOM teams are working closely with local authorities to finalize assessments in these areas. The intervention builds on the Bank’s recent use of drone-assisted assessment through the Drone-Based Disaster Management Project financed via the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Trust Fund.
“We are deeply grateful for the African Development Bank’s swift and positive response to our appeal. This emergency grant will allow us to restore safety and dignity for thousands of affected households through the rapid provision of temporary shelters and essential household items,” said Mozambique’s Minister of Finance, Carla do Rosário Fernandes Loveira.
She added that the partnership strengthens the Government’s ability to protect lives and stabilize communities. Dr Laura Tomm-Bonde, IOM Chief of Mission in Mozambique, said lives and livelihoods have been upended across the affected provinces. She noted that the support enables IOM to rapidly deliver emergency shelter and essential items while reinforcing national efforts led by the Government.
Rômulo Corrêa, the Bank’s Resident Representative in Mozambique, said the affected communities are facing extraordinary hardship. He emphasized that the Bank is helping ensure that assistance is fast, transparent, and targeted to the people and areas with the greatest need. By pairing urgent shelter support with cutting-edge drone assessments, the Bank stands firmly with Mozambique during this critical time. The Special Relief Fund grant reinforces the African Development Bank’s long-standing commitment to Mozambique’s resilience and recovery. It represents both immediate relief for affected communities and an investment in future preparedness.