Mozambique Flood Crisis Deepens: UN Warns of Overcrowded Shelters, Pleads for Urgent Aid
GENEVA – The United Nations issued a stark warning Friday about deteriorating conditions in Mozambique, where catastrophic flooding has forced nearly 400,000 people from their homes. With temporary shelters now severely overcrowded, aid agencies are sounding the alarm over a desperate need for increased international support.
According to Mozambique's National Disasters Management Institute, relentless floods since October 1 have claimed nearly 140 lives. An estimated 100,000 of the displaced are now crammed into roughly 100 temporary accommodation centers, often repurposed schools and public buildings.
"Overcrowding in these centers is severe, and conditions are becoming untenable," stated the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in a release. "Many sites, particularly in remote areas, lack adequate privacy, lighting, and basic services. This creates dangerous conditions, especially for women, girls, the elderly, and people with disabilities who face heightened risks of violence, exploitation, and abuse."
The crisis highlights Mozambique's acute vulnerability to climate-induced disasters, a nation still recovering from previous cyclones. With more rain forecast, the UNHCR warns that further displacement is likely. Compounding the emergency, many remain stranded in isolated communities where access roads are submerged and bridges destroyed.
Funding has emerged as a critical bottleneck. The UNHCR is seeking $38.2 million for its 2026 response plan in Mozambique. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) says it urgently requires $32 million just for the next three months to assist over 450,000 people.
"The needs are skyrocketing in Mozambique, but we are currently very, very stretched for resources," said Ross Smith, WFP's emergency preparedness and response chief, in a briefing from Rome. "We're at 40 percent less funding than we were a year ago. That's really straining our ability to mount a full-scale response."
To reach cut-off communities, the WFP is deploying a complex logistics operation using amphibious vehicles, boats, heavy-duty trucks, and aircraft.
/// USER COMMENTS ///
David Chen, Humanitarian Aid Worker (based in Maputo): "The scale is overwhelming. We've seen this pattern before—a surge of attention that fades as the headlines change. The systemic underfunding of disaster preparedness is what's truly costing lives. The international community's response is reactive, not proactive."
Maria Ferreira, Climate Policy Analyst (Lisbon): "This isn't just a Mozambican crisis; it's a global climate injustice. Nations contributing the least to emissions are bearing the brunt. The aid appeals are necessary, but so is relentless pressure for climate finance and adaptation support for countries on the front lines."
James Kellerman, Retired Engineer (London): "Where does all the money go? We hear these appeals every few months for different disasters. There seems to be zero accountability. Throwing more cash at UN agencies without a clear, audited plan for infrastructure resilience is just charity theatre."
Anika Patel, Student & Volunteer (Nairobi): "The images from those shelters are heartbreaking. How can we, as a global society, let people—especially children and women—live in such fear and squalor after losing everything? This should dominate every news cycle until help arrives. Our collective silence is complicity."