Southern Africa: Flooding Update (As of 4 February 2026)

Since mid-December, exceptionally heavy and persistent rains, fueled by climate change and La Niña conditions, have triggered devastating floods across Southern Africa, affecting nearly 940,000 people and claiming hundreds of lives. Mozambique is the worst affected, with more than 723,000 people impacted across central and southern provinces and more than 100,000 people displaced. Critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, homes, hospitals and schools, has been extensively damaged or destroyed, hindering access and complicating response efforts. Flooding is also compounding existing challenges, including ongoing disease outbreaks and recovery from the 2023/24 drought in several affected countries. Cholera outbreaks have been reported in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The latest climate projections indicate that Normal to above normal rainfall is expected in most parts of region except coastal areas of Angola, Namibia, South Africa, northern eastern parts of Mozambique and half of Eastern & coastal areas of Tanzania for much of the period from February to June 2026.