Approximately 240 businesses in Mozambique’s southern province of Gaza have temporarily closed due to flooding since the beginning of the year, affecting over 3,000 workers, according to estimates from local business associations.
A source from the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA) told Lusa that the number of affected businesses may rise as assessments continue in the flooded districts.
“On average, 240 businesses have temporarily closed according to the latest update, and regarding unemployment, we recorded over 3,000 affected workers, 24% permanent and the rest seasonal,” the source said.
The damages span multiple economic sectors, including agriculture, small businesses, and self-employed workers, with overall losses difficult to quantify due to ongoing flooding in agricultural areas.
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The agricultural impact remains uncertain as the province continues to experience the rainy season, with new flooding waves affecting farmlands in several districts.
Since October, Mozambique’s current rainy season has caused 309 deaths and affected 1.06 million people, according to the latest update from the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD) on March 31.
- January floods alone caused 43 deaths, 147 injuries, nine missing, and affected 715,803 people.
- Cyclone Gezani in Inhambane on February 13–14 caused four deaths and impacted 9,040 people.
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Infrastructure damage during this rainy season includes:
- 24,229 partially destroyed houses, 11,996 fully destroyed, and 209,219 flooded
- 304 health units, 109 places of worship, and 764 schools affected
- 316,267 hectares of agricultural land lost, affecting 371,320 farmers
- 531,116 livestock deaths (cattle, goats, and poultry)
- 9,522 km of roads, 51 bridges, and 237 aqueducts impacted
The CTA highlighted that the floods are having an unprecedented economic and social impact, especially on small and seasonal businesses, and warned that further assessments could reveal additional damages.
