From Drought in Kenya to Floods in Mozambique, Climate Extremes Strike Africa Within Weeks

Dry riverbeds and dying livestock in eastern Africa

The crisis began quietly in Mandera, Kenya, near the Kenya-Somalia border. At first glance, it looked ordinary. Then the signs became impossible to ignore.

Riverbeds were dry. Camels were thin. Communal graveyards filled with the remains of dead livestock, burned where they fell. The drought had been tightening its grip for months.

“Our animals started dying in July last year, and they are still dying," said local chief Adan Molu Kike, speaking calmly as he described the scale of the loss.

Water was the central problem. With rivers gone, aid agencies trucked in water once or twice a week. Miss a delivery and there was no water until the next one. The water, brown in color, had to be shared between people and animals.

Pastoralist Mohamed Hussein dragged two containers from a water bowser truck. He looked exhausted.

“I had 100 animals, but now I have only 20 left," he said. “My crops in the field are dead."

He pointed to a goat that had died the night before. Another loss. Out here, mourning does not last long. Survival comes first.

A sudden shift from drought to deluge

Days later, the scene changed completely.

Heavy rain began falling across southern Africa. At first, it seemed unremarkable. Then flash floods appeared in Harare, Zimbabwe. Soon after, reports emerged from South Africa and Mozambique.

The scale was not immediately clear. It became obvious only after arriving in Maputo, Mozambique.

Floodwaters filled neighborhoods. Homes were submerged. The smell of stagnant water hung in the air. People waded between houses, carrying what they could.

What came next was worse.

Cities and farmland swallowed by water in Mozambique

In Marracuene, Mozambique, a toll gate disappeared beneath the floodwaters. Road signs poked out above the surface of a highway now meters deep underwater.

Farther north, in Xai Xai, Mozambique, the capital of Gaza province, the damage spread across the landscape. Agricultural land vanished beneath water. Parts of the city center sat flooded. Shops, restaurants, and businesses stood silent.

“Now, the water must go down first, and then, we must start cleaning," said Richard Sequeira, a boat captain navigating through the submerged city. “There are a lot of snakes and animals around. Maybe 45 days to two months, we will be out of our houses and living like this."

Weeks of waiting. Weeks of uncertainty.

The threat of more flooding downstream

The danger is not over. Authorities in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, ordered evacuations from flood-prone areas as dams reached capacity and prepared to release water.

Mozambique lies downstream.

That water will flow into communities already overwhelmed by floods. Fields are still underwater. Homes remain inaccessible. Recovery cannot begin while the water keeps rising.

Two extremes, one continent

Within weeks, eastern Africa faced severe drought while southern Africa battled massive floods. Dry riverbeds gave way to submerged highways. Livestock graves were followed by flooded cities.