Between Flood and Drought: Food Assistance Restores Hope for Families in Guijá

When Rosalina received food assistance in Caniçado town, Guijá District, it brought relief at a time when she feared she would have no way of feeding herself. After months of devastating floods that destroyed crops and livelihoods, the support provided through a project funded by the Mozambique Humanitarian Fund helped her regain a sense of security and hope for the future.

Rosalina is among around 400 families who benefited from food assistance delivered through a humanitarian response aimed at supporting communities affected by flooding that occurred between January and February 2026 in Guijá District, Gaza Province. The intervention comes at a critical moment, as many households continue to recover from the impacts of recent floods while facing the threat of future climate-related shocks.

“I live alone and have very few options. If my field does not produce food, there is nowhere else for me to turn. This assistance means a great deal to me. It has brought some relief at a time when I no longer knew what to do,” she says with a quiet smile of gratitude.

Several months have passed since devastating floods swept through communities in Guijá District. The Limpopo River and its tributaries, which once carried unusually high volumes of water and overflowed into homes and farmland, now seem almost unrecognisable. Only small streams remain in what was once a raging river. The fields that lay submerged beneath floodwaters have long since dried out, yet the scars left behind remain deeply etched in the lives of families who depend on agriculture for their survival.

The hardships of recent months are still visible on Rosalina’s face, shaped by a lifetime of experience and resilience. The floods washed away crops, destroyed farmland and left many families struggling to secure their next meal. For people whose livelihoods depend on the land, recovery means far more than planting seeds again; it means rebuilding hope.

“We tried to plant three times, and all three times we lost everything. The water swept away our crops and left us with nothing,” says Rosalina, her voice carrying the exhaustion of someone who watched months of hard work disappear before her eyes.

Yet while communities are still recovering from the floods, a new challenge is emerging. Forecasts point to the possibility of drought conditions that could further affect agricultural production and food security. For families whose livelihoods depend on farming, the uncertainty remains significant.

Rosalina does not know her exact age. However, she has lived long enough to witness many natural disasters and difficult periods throughout her life. Even so, she says she has never experienced climate extremes like those affecting her community in recent years.

“In all my life, I have never seen anything like this. We have lived through droughts and floods before, but never like this. It is difficult to understand what is happening,” she says as she gazes across the fields where she once grew food to support herself.

For Rosalina and hundreds of other families, the food assistance represents far more than a temporary source of food. It provides an essential safety net while households work to rebuild their livelihoods and prepare for future challenges. It also serves as a reminder that they have not been forgotten during one of the most difficult periods they have faced.

As communities continue their recovery journey, the support provided through the Mozambique Humanitarian Fund is helping vulnerable families meet their immediate food needs while restoring hope, dignity, and the confidence to keep moving forward despite the uncertainty that lies ahead.