After the Floods, Hunger Sets In: Mozambique's Second Disaster

Xai-Xai, Mozambique – Months after the floodwaters receded, Joacim Pinto still walks through the empty fields where his crops once thrived. The land that once sustained his family is now a memory of what was lost. Livestock are gone, and the gardens that provided food and income were swallowed by the flood.

But for the 50-year-old, the disaster did not end when the water retreated. For residents of Xai-Xai, in Gaza province, southern Mozambique, surviving the flood was just the beginning of the struggle. “We either die from the flood, or if we survive, hunger will come,” Pinto told Al Jazeera.

The floods that swept across Mozambique from late December 2025 into early 2026 left communities like Pinto's facing a second crisis: finding enough money to buy food after losing their ability to produce it themselves. “The floods destroyed our wells, pipes, livestock, and gardens. The prices of basic foodstuffs have risen sharply,” he said.

Lost Harvests

Mozambique is still recovering from one of the most destructive flood seasons in recent years. The disaster affected several central and southern provinces, including Gaza, Maputo, Inhambane, Sofala, and Zambezia. For farming families, the damage was immediate: fields submerged, crops wiped out, and roads linking farms to markets damaged.

According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about 275,405 hectares of agricultural land were affected, threatening the livelihoods of approximately 314,783 farmers. In rural Mozambique, agriculture is not just a source of income but also a household safety net. Before the floods, Pinto's garden helped his family rely less on markets and shielded them from price shocks. Now, the gardens are bare, and families that once fed themselves are buying food at soaring prices.

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the floods disrupted access to food in many areas. Roads were cut off, markets shut down, and transport costs rose. Local production fell as farmland was damaged. “Although inflation rates vary between districts, what we see on the ground is significant pressure on food prices due to a sharp drop in supply, along with a surge in humanitarian needs,” Ana Mato Hombre, WFP Mozambique spokesperson, told Al Jazeera. “In many flooded areas, food stocks were lost, farmland destroyed, and many markets closed.”

Rising Prices

The impact of the floods goes far beyond damaged fields. “Whenever there is flooding or drought in southern Africa, food prices rise due to supply shortages and high import costs,” explained Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, a professor of climate change and food systems at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. A native of the region, he noted that repeated disasters are changing how vulnerable communities survive. “It also leads to poor diets because people cannot access a variety of foods.”

The latest floods came while many communities were still recovering from severe drought linked to El Niño in 2024–2025, which affected agricultural production in parts of southern Africa. For families already weakened by drought, another disaster leaves them with little time to recover.

Broken Supply Chains

The crisis has also spread to traders trying to keep food moving. “We were forced to raise prices by 10% for rice, flour, live chicken, and other products,” said Shuwa Anolis, a truck driver and food trader in Xai-Xai. The floods disrupted major transport routes linking southern and northern Mozambique, pushing up fuel and delivery costs. “Looking at the main highway connecting the south to the north, it was flooded and impassable. Our fuel costs are still high,” Anolis told Al Jazeera. He said the price of processed chicken rose after the floods because transport and supply costs became more expensive. “It's business, it's survival.”

But for families who lost their harvests, high prices are an added burden. While traders try to offset rising costs, households that once fed themselves from the land are struggling to buy what they need.

Climate Burden

Mozambique is repeatedly hit by extreme climate disasters despite contributing very little to greenhouse gas emissions. Its vulnerability stems from its geographic location, dependence on agriculture, and limited resources for rebuilding after disasters. Mabhaudhi pointed out that Mozambique's downstream position in major river systems makes it more prone to flooding, as rainfall and land-use practices beyond its borders also have an impact.

The impact is not measured only in lost harvests or damaged homes. Recurring disasters are shrinking the recovery time for communities. A family loses its crops, begins to rebuild, and then faces another shock before it can get back on its feet.

Unfinished Recovery

For Pinto and thousands of other survivors, the receding floodwaters are not the end of the crisis. The current challenge is rebuilding livelihoods before the next shock hits. “It is the same communities whose crops were devastated by drought, still recovering, and now they are devastated by floods,” Mabhaudhi said. “Human endurance in the face of successive disasters has its limits.”