Severe flooding has devastated large parts of southern Africa following weeks of unusually heavy rainfall, leaving communities displaced, infrastructure damaged, and several countries grappling with emergency response efforts. Rivers have burst their banks, roads and bridges have been washed away, and low-lying areas have been submerged, disrupting transport, agriculture, and essential services.
Countries including South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi have been among the hardest hit, with authorities reporting loss of life, thousands of people forced from their homes, and widespread damage to homes, schools, and health facilities. Emergency services and humanitarian agencies are working to provide shelter, food, and medical assistance, while rescue operations continue in affected regions.
The floods have renewed concerns about the growing impact of extreme weather events linked to climate change, particularly in vulnerable regions. Governments and regional bodies have called for stronger disaster preparedness, improved early-warning systems, and long-term investment in climate-resilient infrastructure to reduce the impact of future weather-related disasters.