Maputo, Jan. 21, 2026 (Lusa) - At least 1,300 families are cut off in three communities in Limpopo National Park, in Gaza province, southern Mozambique, the head of that conservation area told Lusa on Wednesday.
Francisco Pariela explained that within the park's perimeter are the communities of Mavodze, Machampane and Chimangue, the latter two being the most critical "because to reach these villages, you have to cross the Shingwedzi River".
According to the manager, the Shingwedzi River is a seasonal river, but in times of rain "it is highly aggressive", as it receives water upstream from neighbouring countries, including Zimbabwe and South Africa, "so, because of this fury of the waters, there is no access to these communities".
Pariela said that on Tuesday, a joint team from the park and the Massingir region government made "a first attempt to provide food, support and relief to these two communities, Machampane and Chimangue".
"We left here from Massingir at around 9:00 a.m. [7:00 a.m. in Lisbon] and our colleagues returned at 9:00 p.m. [7:00 p.m.], and we are talking about a distance of no more than 70 kilometres, but indeed, it was a challenging journey," he explained.
Pariela said that today an air operation was carried out in Machampane to transport two women in labour to a nearby community that could provide medical assistance.
Around the park, the manager said that the situation is "critical", with "most or all communities and checkpoints sadly affected".
"At this moment, most communities are in fact inaccessible by land. We have been doing this by boat, we have a boat from the National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction [INGD] that has been helping to monitor the safety of these communities," he concluded.
The death toll during the rainy season in Mozambique has risen to 114, with six people missing, 99 injured and almost 680,000 affected, according to INGD data.
According to the INGD database, consulted today by Lusa, with figures from 1 October to the end of 19 January, already covering the current period of widespread flooding in the country, 677,831 people have been affected so far, equivalent to 141,818 families, with 11,367 houses partially destroyed and 4,910 totally destroyed, worsening the previous balance.
By Friday, a total of 103 deaths and 173,000 people affected since the beginning of the rainy season in Mozambique had been reported, the government said on that day, subsequently declaring a national red alert. Since 21 December, shortly before the start of the current phase of heavy non-stop rains, the INGD has recorded 13 deaths.
Today, rescue efforts continue for hundreds of families who remain cut off by the floods, some taking refuge on the roofs of houses, especially in Maputo and Gaza, southern Mozambique, as a result of heavy rains, almost uninterrupted for several days, which are forcing dams, including those in neighbouring countries, to increase their discharge significantly due to lack of capacity.
About a dozen aircraft are involved in these operations, which are dependent on weather conditions.
In Maputo, National Road 1 to the north and National Road 2 to the south remain impassable due to rising waters.
LCE/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
