Maputo, Feb. 2, 2026 (Lusa) — Navigation on the Limpopo River in Gaza Province, southern Mozambique, has been banned due to "critical hydrological conditions", rendering inland waters unnavigable, the maritime authority announced on Monday in a statement.
"The Maritime Transport Regulatory Authority [Itransmar] in Gaza province (...) informs shipowners, vessel owners and the general public that navigation for passenger and cargo transport is prohibited on the section between the upper part of the city of Xai-Xai and the bridge over the Limpopo River," the statement reads.
The ban is due to a sharp reduction in the flow of the river, which has left a large concentration of debris on the riverbed, posing a high risk to navigation safety and increasing the likelihood of accidents and damage to vessels, Itransmar said.
"In view of this situation, Itransmar recommends that users and operators use alternative means of road transport, via the Chongoene-Chibuto-Chissano route, to ensure the connection between the affected points," the document states.
The land connection between southern and northern Mozambique was re-established on Sunday via an alternative road after a 15-day interruption due to flooding, the road administration announced.
The land connection via National Road 1 (N1) between Maputo and Gaza had been interrupted due to six cuts in the section connecting the two provinces, whose temporary repair works ended on Friday, with traffic remaining interrupted in the downtown area of Xai-xai, where replacement works are still ongoing.
The number of people affected by the January floods in Mozambique rose on Friday to 723,289, with 22 dead, according to provisional data from the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD).
Since 7 January, 45 people have been reported injured and nine missing as a result of these floods, 3,541 houses have been partially destroyed, 794 completely destroyed and 165,946 flooded.
The INGD record also points to 451,571 hectares of agricultural area affected, of which 275,765 are reported as lost, affecting the activity of 332,863 farmers, in addition to the death of 430,972 head of livestock, including cattle, goats and poultry.
Relief efforts continue for families cut off by floods, especially in Maputo and Gaza provinces, southern Mozambique, as a result of heavy rains over several days.
The European Union, the United States, Portugal, Angola, Spain, East Timor, Norway and Japan, as well as neighbouring countries, have already sent emergency humanitarian aid.
Since the beginning of the rainy season in October, including the January floods, there have been 146 deaths, 148 injuries and 844,295 people affected, according to INGD data.
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