When floods hit, the risk of malaria follows: how disaster systems can prepare better

A yard submerged with flood water from the Limpopo river on 5 February 2026 in Xai Xai, Mozambique. Zinyange Auntony/Getty Images

When floods sweep through southern Africa, the most visible damage is immediate: homes washed away, crops destroyed, clinics disrupted, families displaced. These images dominate headlines and humanitarian appeals.

But as floodwaters recede, a quieter, slower-moving crisis often follows – in those same communities that are already struggling to recover.