Mozambique Delays School Year Due to Catastrophic Flooding
The Mozambican government has announced a one-month delay in the start of the 2026 school year due to severe flooding in the southern provinces. The Council of Ministers met in Xai-Xai, the capital of Gaza province, one of the areas hardest hit by the floods, to assess the situation. Despite the floods beginning to subside, much of Xai-Xai remains underwater.
The floods have affected 431 schools, with 281 classrooms completely destroyed and 80 schools converted into accommodation centers for displaced people. An additional 218 schools are inaccessible due to surrounding floodwaters. Over 427,000 pupils and 9,204 teachers have been directly affected, prompting the government to postpone the return to school from the first week of February to the end of the month nationwide.
The health service has also been severely impacted, with 229 health facilities affected, according to the National Disaster Management agency. The floods have damaged 3,447 houses, completely destroyed 771 homes, and damaged 1,336.5 kilometers of roads, including stretches of the main north-south highway. This has disrupted road traffic between southern and northern Mozambique.
Since the start of the rainy season on October 1, over 812,000 people have been affected by storms and floods, with the majority of these incidents occurring since January 9. The floods have caused 137 confirmed deaths, over 148 injuries, and six people are reported missing. The government’s decision to delay the school year aims to ensure the safety and well-being of students and teachers affected by the flooding. The delay will allow for necessary repairs and preparations to be made before the new school year begins.
