Seeking Safety as Floodwaters Surround a Temporary Shelter in Maputo
“Everything I owned is destroyed or washed away. All our clothes, our food, everything is gone.”
Maputo Province, Mozambique. Floodwater runs right up to the doorway of a primary school in Hulene A, a neighbourhood not far from Maputo city centre. Inside, classrooms have been transformed into a temporary accommodation centre for families whose homes were destroyed by floods last week, following days of extreme rainfall.
Nearly 100 people, including around 20 children, are sheltering in the school. It is a place of safety, but only just. The water outside remains dangerously close, and residents know how easily this refuge could also be flooded.
Space inside the centre is limited. Families sleep side by side with little privacy, unsure how long they will be able to stay. Most arrived with almost nothing. Soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and food are scarce. These everyday essentials were washed away when floodwaters swept through their homes.
Angelica Horácio, 23, and her three-year-old daughter, Hermenia Guillermo, are among those seeking shelter here. Their home in Hulene A was badly damaged by the floods, forcing them to flee.
“The situation in our house now is really bad,” Angelica says. “Everything I owned is destroyed or washed away. All our clothes, our food, everything is gone.”
She recalls how quickly the water rose. “The water came in through the roof, the doors, the windows, everywhere. The water rose very high and went halfway up the wall.”
As the flooding intensified, fear took over. “It was very difficult. I was really scared, especially for my daughter,” she says.
Reaching the accommodation centre brought some relief, but daily life remains hard. “The accommodation centre is good. I am glad to be away from the water,” Angelica explains. “But there is a lack of food and I have no more clothing, as we lost it all in the floods.”
For children, the conditions are particularly challenging. Hermenia stays close to her mother, unusually quiet.
“My daughter, Hermenia, does not play,” Angelica says. “She is sick from being so long in the water and in wet clothes.”
Prolonged exposure to dirty water and damp conditions increases the risk of illness, especially for young children.
Across Mozambique, extreme rainfall and flooding have affected hundreds of thousands of people, more than half of them children. Homes, schools and health facilities have been damaged, and many families have been displaced to temporary accommodation centres or host communities.
UNICEF is working with the Government and partners to deliver essential supplies and support basic services for families most affected by the floods, helping protect children and caregivers during this emergency.
As floodwaters continue to threaten communities and the rainy season persists, families in Hulene A wait for the chance to return home and begin rebuilding what they have lost.
