OVERCROWDING AND DISEASE RISK: Sanitation Crisis Deepens in Mozambique Displacement Centres

Leovigildo Nhampule

Monday, January 19, 2026

As of January 19, 2026, a burgeoning health crisis is unfolding in southern Mozambique, where more than 3,500 flood survivors are being squeezed into a single, 100-square-meter open-air camp.

Displaced from "Dam Village" (Aldeia da Barragem), the residents of Guijá District’s largest accommodation center are facing what health officials describe as a "breeding ground for disease." With the rain falling relentlessly, the sheer density of the population—which includes children, the elderly, and people with disabilities—has made basic hygiene nearly impossible.

Life Inside the 100-Meter Perimeter

Here, everyone knows one another; beyond the physical space, they share the same history and the same suffering. As the days pass, hopes for improvement fade. The situation continues to deteriorate as the rain falls relentlessly, and the sanitation conditions get harder day by day.

The living conditions have reached a breaking point. In one tent, a woman named Graça struggles to account for the dozens of people seeking shelter under her care. The tent currently houses four separate families, each with at least five members.

"I can't say for sure, there are so many of us... I have lost count of my own family," Graça stated, with an air of weary resignation.

The Sanitation Struggle

The most critical threat to the survivors is the total lack of functional latrines. To manage, families are forced to trek to the nearby scrubland—the same riverbanks that recently flooded their homes—to find privacy.

"We have no other choice," one resident explained. "When we need to relieve ourselves, we take a hoe, go into the bush, dig a small hole, do what we must, and then cover it up."

Medical staff on-site warn that even the most basic precautions are failing under the pressure of the crowds.

Given this scenario, health authorities stationed at the centre are warning of the high risk of an outbreak of diarrhoeal diseases.

"Even if we had functional latrines here, the risk would remain the same," explains a health official stationed at the centre. "There are too many people sharing the same space, and with the rain showing no sign of letting up, these conditions are a breeding ground for disease."

A Race for Resources

While a generator-powered system managed by the Southern Regional Water Administration is currently maintaining a supply of potable water, humanitarian agencies are scrambling to prevent a secondary disaster in the form of a cholera or diarrheal outbreak.

World Vision Mozambique is currently finalizing an emergency response plan to address these critical gaps in Gaza Province.

“World Vision Mozambique has identified Food Security, Livelihoods, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Protection, Education, and Shelter as priority sectors for its response," said Angelo Pontes, Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Manager. "The field office is actively engaging with donors, government authorities, and humanitarian partners to mobilize resources, enhance coordination, and finalize a comprehensive World Vision’s response plan.”

For now, the 3,500 residents of the Guijá center remain in a state of suspended animation, waiting for the rains to cease and for the infrastructure of their lives to be rebuilt.