More than 230,000 children out of school as Mozambique suffers catastrophic floods

More than 230,000 children in Mozambique have been cut off from education so far this year after the worst flooding in decades damaged hundreds of schools, homes, and roads.   

Exceptionally heavy rainfall that began in late December caused widespread, severe flooding across southern Mozambique in January, triggering a rapidly escalating emergency just as the country entered its annual cyclone season. The devastation deepened in mid-February when Tropical Cyclone Gezani brought more torrential rainfall and winds of up to 215 km/h. 

The back-to-back flooding has affected more than 720,000 people this year, over half of them children. More than 430 schools have been affected by the flooding, with more than 840 classrooms destroyed by powerful winds and floodwaters. Damage to roads has prevented teachers and students from reaching classrooms. Other schools have been used to shelter displaced families.   

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