The government has pointed to a decline in life-saving efforts in light of the negative impacts expected from tropical storm “Gezani,” which is forecast to develop into a cyclone and could reach the Mozambique Channel on February 12, affecting the southern and central regions of the country.
“This system will cross Madagascar and may approach the Mozambican coast as a tropical cyclone, potentially affecting the coastal districts of Sofala, Inhambane, and Gaza provinces, representing a setback in the authorities’ efforts,” said Inocêncio Impissa, spokesperson for the Council of Ministers.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, February 10, the official described the cyclone as expected to hit the southern coast of the country, “with average winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 140 kilometers per hour and heavy rains,” adding that millions of people could be affected.
“The Council of Ministers calls on all Mozambicans living in areas that may be affected by Cyclone Gezani to follow the information and guidance provided by the competent authorities in order to minimize the negative impacts of this phenomenon,” Impissa appealed.
The National Directorate for Water Resources Management (DNGRH) warned that around one million people could be affected by tropical storm “Gezani,” adding that the bad weather is also expected to affect 1,600 health facilities and 600 kilometers of the power grid.
However, in view of this scenario, the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) and the National Emergency Operations Center (CENOE) revealed that the Technical Council for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (CTGD) has activated early cyclone response measures for the province of Sofala, as well as for the entire southern region.
In a statement, the entities clarified that national hydrometeorological forecasts indicate that the passage of tropical storm “Gezani” will affect the coastal districts of the provinces of Sofala, Inhambane, and Gaza, in addition to placing the coastal basins of Inhambane, Mutamba, Save, Limpopo, and a moderate risk for the Incomati and Umbelúzi basins.
Updated data from the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) indicate that since the beginning of the rainy season in October, 844,000 people have been affected throughout the country, with 153 deaths and 254 injuries recorded. Given the seriousness of the situation, the government declared a national red alert on January 16, and there are currently 77 accommodation centers in operation, housing 76,251 displaced people.
Since January 7, 229 health facilities, 316 schools, and five bridges have also been damaged. In the agricultural sector, the floods affected 440,842 hectares of crops, of which 275,405 were reported as lost, affecting 314,780 farmers. It is also estimated that 408,115 head of cattle, goats, and poultry have died.
The European Union, the United States, Portugal, Angola, Spain, Timor-Leste, Switzerland, Norway, Japan, and China, as well as neighboring countries, have already announced and sent emergency humanitarian aid.
Recently, the government estimated that at least US$644 million would be needed to repair the damage caused by the heavy rains recorded over the last 20 days, which resulted in flooding in several regions of the country, with the highest incidence in the central and southern areas.
Among the main losses are damage to about three kilometers of National Road Number 1 (N1), the main highway connecting Mozambique from north to south, a situation that has exacerbated the difficulties of movement of people and essential goods.
At the end of last year, the Executive approved the national contingency plan for the 2025-26 rainy season, valued at 14 billion meticais. However, it admitted that it only had 6 billion meticais of the necessary funds available.
The country is considered one of the most severely affected by climate change, facing cyclical floods and tropical cyclones. In the last rains, between 2024-25, Mozambique was hit by cyclones Chido, Dikeledi, and Jude, which killed at least 313 people, injured 1,255, and affected more than 1.8 million.
Extreme events caused at least 1,016 deaths in Mozambique between 2019 and 2023, affecting around 4.9 million people, according to data from the National Statistics Institute.
