Weeks of relentless heavy rainfall have triggered widespread and severe flooding across southern and central Mozambique, leading to a significant humanitarian crisis. Rivers have overflowed their banks, submerging entire neighborhoods and forcing hundreds of thousands of families to abandon their homes. According to Dr. Andrew Mbala Peter, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)'s Pemba office, speaking at a UN Press conference, nearly 600,000 people have been affected by these devastating floods.

In response to the escalating crisis, Mozambique's government declared a nationwide Red Alert on January 16 and has urgently appealed for international support. This critical assistance includes air assets for search and rescue operations, essential logistical and technical aid, and life-saving supplies to reach affected populations. Dr. Peter reported that "More than 73,000 people are currently displaced across 71 accommodation centres, numbers that continue to rise as the situation evolves." Gaza Province has been identified as the hardest-hit region, with significant concentrations of displaced individuals in Chiaquelene and Xilembene, which together host 54,845 people.

The impact of the flooding is extensive, affecting 10 of Mozambique's 11 provinces, as highlighted by John Roche, who heads the Mozambique and Angola section of the International Federation of the Red Cross. Over half a million people have been impacted, many of whom are displaced, their livelihoods destroyed, and their access to basic services severely constrained. Displaced communities are facing acute shortages of safe shelter and essential household items due to increasingly overcrowded accommodation centres. The lack of access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services further exacerbates the situation, significantly increasing the risk of waterborne diseases. Furthermore, food supplies and other basic services are under immense strain, as widespread infrastructure damage, including roads and bridges, and ongoing access constraints disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid. Health services and protection support also remain limited, even as the displacement and crowded conditions intensify existing risks.

The IOM is playing a crucial role in the response by meticulously tracking displacement patterns and priority needs through its Displacement Tracking Matrix. This system provides regularly updated and validated data, which is vital for supporting targeted and coordinated response planning at both national and provincial levels. The organization is deploying dedicated teams, particularly in heavily impacted areas such as Gaza Province, to bolster site management, facilitate community engagement, and enhance coordination efforts to improve living conditions in accommodation centres. These teams are also working to strengthen protection referrals and to mobilize critical services in health, water and sanitation (WASH), and protection wherever access permits.

Beyond data tracking and coordination, IOM is directly supporting evacuations, delivering essential shelter and household kits, and distributing water purification supplies to mitigate health risks. The organization is actively scaling up its operations to meet the growing demand. Additionally, IOM is channeling short-term subgrants to vetted Mozambican organizations, empowering them to reach communities in hard-to-access areas and extend assistance beyond formal accommodation centres. However, access continues to be one of the most serious constraints; roads and bridges have been damaged or washed away, water levels continue to rise, and persistent rainfall severely limits the movement of goods and personnel. Such challenging conditions significantly slow down the delivery of life-saving assistance, necessitating close collaboration between the United Nations, Mozambican authorities, and partners to overcome these logistical logjams and ensure the continuity of humanitarian operations.