Mozambique is facing large-scale flooding in the south and center of the country, with significant human and infrastructural impact. According to recent updates, between 600,000 and more than 700,000 people have been affected since the end of December, with official INGD data pointing to more than 717,000 affected and 122 deaths in the current rainy season, figures that continue to evolve. UN agencies have confirmed the activation of emergency funding and search and rescue operations, including 5 million dollars from CERF to support the government-led response.
Last Wednesday, the 21st, during her meeting with the Association of Consuls in Mozambique (ACOMOC), chaired by Dr. Noor-Momade, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Maria Manuela Lucas, called for the mobilization of the consular corps to reinforce assistance to displaced people. The following day, less than 24 hours later, ACOMOC organized and delivered around 20 tons of essential goods in front of MINEC's premises, with the Minister formalizing the reception, on an occasion when INGD representatives were also present.
During the handover ceremony, Maria Manuela Lucas spoke of the urgency of the moment: “We all know what we are facing. Our people are in the water. Some on the roofs of their houses and others in the trees. This is a responsibility for all of us.” He emphasized the public nature of the gesture - “This is a donation to the Mozambican people” - and valued ACOMOC's readiness: “This is a gesture by patriots. Although they are representing other countries, they are patriots. That's why they're here to make this donation”, underlining the record time between the appeal made the previous day and the delivery.
Representing the consular corps, Dr. Noor-Momade led the delivery and the operational coordination with MINEC and INGD, highlighting the logic of emergency execution: “The priority was to put resources on the ground in hours, not weeks, in coordination with the authorities, in order to reach the affected families more quickly.” It is now up to the INGD to integrate the batch into its distribution and assistance circuits in the most critical areas.
This is a moment that demonstrates in a different way the power of proximity diplomacy, in this case in the context of a natural disaster: the honorary consuls, organized in ACOMOC, act as a bridge between needs on the ground, support channels and public institutions, in line with MINEC's focus on economic and humanitarian diplomacy.
The floods have caused mass displacement and road closures, with more than 300,000 people displaced in Gaza province and health risks worsening, according to authorities and international partners. At the same time, press reports and humanitarian updates point to more than half a million people affected in Gaza and Maputo, with search and rescue operations and the opening of temporary shelters underway.
For Noor-Momade, there is only one way forward: “ACOMOC will continue to liaise with INGD to allocate and distribute the goods,” said the association's president, guaranteeing that any new action will always be in accordance with “operational priorities, always following the evolution of the situation in the most affected provinces, together with INGD”.
The humanitarian system warns that the coming weeks will be decisive in stabilizing supplies, mitigating risks and supporting safe returns.