Catastrophic floods fueled by relentless torrential rains have claimed over 100 lives across Southern Africa, with Mozambique and Zimbabwe emerging as the hardest-hit regions. Authorities have deployed military helicopters to evacuate stranded residents and tourists from a prominent game reserve as the humanitarian crisis intensifies.
Mozambique’s Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction (INGD) confirmed 103 fatalities since the unusually heavy monsoon season began late last year. Deaths resulted from lightning strikes, structural collapses, and a burgeoning cholera outbreak. The World Food Programme (WFP) warned that over 200,000 people now face displacement and acute food insecurity.
In neighboring Zimbabwe, the disaster management agency reported 70 deaths and the destruction of over 1,000 homes since January. Meanwhile, South Africa recorded at least 30 fatalities in its northern provinces. Meteorologists anticipate further downpours, threatening to exacerbate the already dire situation across the region.