Mozambique’s Education Minister, Samaria Tovela, has indicated that the cabinet may consider rescheduling the start of the 2026 academic year as severe flooding continues to affect large parts of the country.
The floods, described by authorities as the worst in a generation, have been driven by prolonged heavy rainfall, particularly in southern and central Mozambique.
International rescue teams from Brazil, South Africa and the United Kingdom have joined local emergency services in life-saving operations, as rising waters inundate communities, destroy infrastructure and displace thousands of families.
According to provisional figures from Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction, at least 642 122 people have been affected by flooding since January 7. The southern and central regions have been the hardest hit.
Officials say at least 12 people have died as a result of the floods this year, while a total of 125 deaths have been recorded nationwide since the start of the rainy season in October.
The scale of the disaster has raised concerns about access to education, healthcare and humanitarian assistance, with schools, roads and clinics among the facilities damaged or destroyed.
Further assessments are underway as emergency responses continue, and cabinet deliberations on the academic calendar are expected in the coming weeks.
–ChannelAfrica–
