Floods delay school year for thousands of children in Mozambique
29 January 2026With the start of the new school year in Mozambique now pushed to end of February, Plan International is deeply concerned that thousands of children are missing out on education as the flooding crisis continues to escalate.
Southern Africa’s worst floods in recent history are seeing close to 250,000 children unable to begin the new school year in Mozambique, with hundreds of schools, classrooms, teachers’ houses, learning materials and school gardens swept away or submerged by weeks of relentless rainfall.
Speaking in response to the current floods, Luis Paulo, Plan International’s Country Director for Mozambique said:
“With the magnitude of the current floods expected to worsen, thousands of children now face an uncertain start to the academic year with many displaced, cut off by collapsed bridges and without safe classrooms to return to. For families already grappling with the loss of homes, crops and livelihoods, the uncertain status of schools adds a new layer of instability to an already rapidly deteriorating crisis.
The lives of all these families have been turned upside down by the floods; they have lost everything they had. But the children still carry something precious: the right to dream.”
The challenge of access
Heavy rains and flash floods have affected more than 655,000 people and claimed at least 159 lives across Southern Africa, with Mozambique the worst affected.
In Mozambique, more than 600,000 people have been affected, approximately 75 per cent of them in Gaza Province, and numbers are expected to rise as heavy rainfall continues.
Several key roads remain impassable, with nearly 5,000 kilometres damaged across 9 provinces of Mozambique. This includes the main road connecting the capital, Maputo, to the rest of the country, which is now impassable. As a result, the movement of supplies and humanitarian actors by road has been severely compromised.
Our response
Plan International has since established child friendly spaces to support children affected by the floods, with the first centre set up in Chihaquelane. On its opening day, the facility received more than 300 girls and boys. The centre provides a safe, welcoming and protective environment where children can play, interact and regain a sense of normalcy. In the midst of widespread loss and disruption, these spaces offer renewed hope.
“Despite the flood, children’ s rights to education is not on hold and Plan International will continue working with Government and partners to ensure that children can return to learning in the shortest time possible.
We are also working with the Government to strengthen preparedness and anticipatory action plans that mitigate disruption of education due to flooding and other disasters.
In the meantime, our child friendly spaces serve as an essential entry point for mental health and psychosocial support, ensuring children receive the emotional care they urgently need” Luis Paulo, Country Director, Plan International Mozambique.
Categories: Emergencies
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