Tens of thousands of people in Mozambique are being rescued as rising waters continue to devastate the southern African nation - the worst flooding in a generation.
Teams from Brazil, South Africa and the UK have been helping with life-saving rescue operations.
For me, this is the first time I have experienced a calamity of this magnitude. Elders say a similar disaster took place in the 1990s, 24-year-old mechanic Tomaz Antonio Mlau says.
Residents are clinging to treetops and rooftops as floodwaters sweep across areas, with many forced to abandon their homes. Mlau, who lives near Marracuene, recalls waking up to find his house inundated after the Inkomati River burst its banks.
Rescue operations are being complicated by the sheer scale of the flooding, with more than 642,122 people affected since early January. The National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction reports 12 deaths thus far.
Mayor Shafee Sidat of Marracuene municipality faces challenges as he notes that some residents refuse to leave at-risk areas. He oversees efforts at temporary shelters, which now house an estimated 4,000 people displaced by the disaster.
We lost everything in the floodwaters, including houses, TV sets, fridges, clothing and livestock, laments 67-year-old Francisco Fernando Chivindzi, a farmer whose crops have been submerged.
Shafee Sidat foresees worsening conditions as heavy rain in neighboring South Africa may exacerbate water levels in the Inkomati River.
Informally sheltered at Gwazamutini Secondary School, flood victims bring their fears and uncertain futures. Even if waters subside, I am not sure I'll go back there, Mlau expresses, fearing the same outcome might repeat.
Residents are grappling with not only the loss of property but also food shortages in shelter. Conditions remain dire as authorities try to provide support amid rising concerns and ongoing rains. Education Minister Samaria Tovela indicated a camp restructuring may postpone the school year, prioritizing shelter for displaced families.
