Months after floodwaters receded in Xai-Xai, Mozambique, families are still struggling to find enough food and money after losing crops, livestock and gardens. The floods swept across the country from late December 2025 into early 2026, creating a second crisis after the immediate danger had passed.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says about 275,405 hectares of farmland were affected, threatening the livelihoods of approximately 314,783 farmers. Damaged roads, disrupted markets and higher transport costs have also pushed up the price of basic food in affected communities.
At a glance:
- Affected provinces include Gaza, Maputo, Inhambane, Sofala and Zambezia.
- About 275,405 hectares of farmland were affected, according to the FAO.
- Approximately 314,783 farmers face threats to their livelihoods.
- Road damage and lost local production have reduced food access and increased costs.
Lost crops removed a household safety net
For farming families, the damage goes beyond a single lost harvest. In rural Mozambique, gardens and fields provide both food and income, reducing reliance on shops and traders when prices rise. In Xai-Xai, resident Joacim Pinto said the floods destroyed his wells, pipes, livestock and gardens.
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The affected farmland was spread across several central and southern provinces, including Gaza, Maputo, Inhambane, Sofala and Zambezia. Fields were submerged, harvests were lost and roads used to move food from farms to markets were damaged, leaving families that once produced food at home more dependent on commercial supplies.
Why food prices are rising
The World Food Programme said flooding disrupted access to food in many affected areas. Roads became impassable, some markets stopped operating and transport costs increased, while damaged farmland reduced local production and food stocks were lost.
Ana Mato Hombre, a WFP Mozambique spokesperson, said the main pressure on prices appeared to be the sharp reduction in supply combined with disrupted supply routes and increased humanitarian needs. She said isolated cases of traders taking advantage of shortages could not be ruled out, but were not identified as the main driver.
Transport disruption adds to the burden
Flooding affected major routes linking southern and northern Mozambique. Shuwa Anolis, a truck driver and food trader in Xai-Xai, said the disruption forced traders to add a 10 percent markup to rice, flour, live chicken and other products as fuel and delivery costs rose.
For households that lost their own crops, those added costs create a direct problem: they must buy food at higher prices while having less income from farming. The price of prepared chicken also increased after transport and supply became more expensive, according to Anolis.
Recovery is colliding with repeated disasters
The floods arrived while communities were still recovering from the severe drought associated with the 2024–2025 El Nino weather pattern, which affected agricultural production across parts of southern Africa. Families already weakened by drought therefore had less time and capacity to rebuild before the next shock.
Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, a professor of climate change and food systems at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said repeated disasters were leaving communities with less time to recover. For survivors such as Pinto, rebuilding livelihoods before another disaster is now the central challenge.
Questions readers ask
Which parts of Mozambique were affected?
The floods affected communities in Gaza, Maputo, Inhambane, Sofala and Zambezia, among other central and southern areas.
How much farmland was damaged?
The FAO estimated that about 275,405 hectares of farmland were affected, threatening the livelihoods of approximately 314,783 farmers.
What is making food more expensive?
Lost production, destroyed food stocks, damaged roads, non-functioning markets and higher fuel and transport costs have all contributed to supply pressure and rising prices.
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