Following the devastating floods caused by heavy rainfall since December 2025 in Mozambique, Malteser International, the Order of Malta’s international relief agency, has sent a six-member emergency relief team to the particularly hard-hit area in the southern province of Gaza. The experts are primarily working on restoring water and sanitation services and preventing infections. More than 700,000 people are affected by the aftermath of the floods. Roads, homes, and critical infrastructure such as hospitals have suffered extensive damage. The risk of diseases such as cholera breaking out is very high due to stagnant water and contamination.

“The water has destroyed houses, fields, and crops. Many people have lost their livelihoods as a result. Vast areas are still under water. This is a breeding ground for pathogens. Numerous hospitals are currently out of operation due to the floods. An outbreak of cholera would be fatal right now,” reports Jonas Jung, Emergency Relief Coordinator at Malteser International, who assessed the needs on site.

Malteser International is currently focusing on restoring access to water at the regional hospital in Chókwè district in Gaza province. “Restoring access to clean water is a basic requirement for the hospital to resume operations. Only then can it be safely cleaned of the contaminated mud brought in by the floods. We will also provide the local health staff with protective equipment for infection prevention, so they are better prepared for a possible cholera outbreak,” explains Jung.

Since the rainy season in Mozambique usually lasts from December to March and the cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean extends until about April, there remains a high risk of further heavy rainfall, flooding, and additional damage in the already affected regions in the coming weeks.