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Overview
Mozambique is experiencing severe flooding following consecutive days of heavy rainfall, compounded by runoff from neighbouring countries, particularly South Africa and Zimbabwe. The impact is most acute in Gaza and Maputo provinces, prompting the Government of Mozambique to declare a nationwide Red Alert.
As of 17 January 2026, national authorities report at least 103 fatalities, 86 injured persons, more than 4,000 houses destroyed, and a total of 643,331 people affected. Among those impacted are an estimated 164,049 women of reproductive age, including 11,532 pregnant women. Approximately 100 health facilities are at risk.
The floods exacerbate existing vulnerabilities linked to previous shocks, including Cyclones Chido and Dikeledi in 2025, as well as a concurrent cholera outbreak.
UNFPA Response
UNFPA is responding to the emergency by supporting the provision of life-saving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response services. Actions include participation in inter-agency rapid needs assessments, mobilization of prepositioned dignity kits, and deployment of temporary health infrastructure to ensure continuity of essential services in affected and displacement settings.
Funding Gaps and Needs
The scale of humanitarian needs far exceeds current capacities. According to the UNFPA Humanitarian Action Overview 2026, the Mozambique Country Office requires at least USD 11.5 million to implement its planned humanitarian response; however, only 6 per cent of this funding has been mobilized to date. While a CERF allocation has been made at the country level, significant gaps remain, particularly for maternal health and GBV prevention and response, which continue to be among the least funded sectors despite their critical importance.
UNFPA, as the mandated GBV coordination agency and Provider of Last Resort, and as the UN agency for sexual and reproductive health, continues to support GBV risk mitigation, PSEA, and implementation of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP). Sustained and strengthened support is urgently required to scale up the response and protect the lives, dignity, and rights of women, girls, and newborns amid ongoing climatic and humanitarian risks.