Floods push crocodiles into Mozambican towns as health concerns rise

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Floods push crocodiles into Mozambican towns as health concerns rise

2026-01-23 23:52 Last Updated At：01-24 00:11

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — As floods ravage Mozambique, crocodiles are appearing in submerged towns and responsible for at least three deaths.

In the town of Xai-Xai, the provincial capital of Gaza province and one of the worst-affected areas in the country’s south, authorities have warned residents of heightened crocodile risks as floodwaters spread and evacuations to higher ground continue.

Torrential rains and severe flooding across parts of southern Africa over the past month have killed more than 100 people in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, destroying thousands of homes and damaging infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools and health facilities.

Of the 13 people reported dead from the floods in Mozambique, three were killed by crocodiles, authorities said.

“The river levels are rising and are reaching urban areas or heavily populated areas,” Paola Emerson, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Mozambique, said this week after visiting the town.

“So the crocodiles that are in the Limpopo river in this case are able to get into populated areas that are now submerged under water and that is the concern.”

The Limpopo river flows from South Africa through Mozambique on its way into the Indian Ocean.

Two people were killed in an attack that left three others injured in the Gaza region earlier this month. A man was “swallowed” by a crocodile in Moamba, a small town in Maputo province, local media quoted Henriques Bongece, the province’s secretary, as saying this week. Maputo is the impoverished country’s capital.

Authorities said in Maputo that the crocodiles appeared to have been driven into the area by floodwaters from a park in neighboring South Africa.

“We want to urge everyone not to approach still waters because crocodiles are drifting in these waters. The rivers have connected with all areas where there is water,” local media quoted Bongece as saying this week.

Beyond the immediate danger posed by wildlife, the floods have triggered a deepening humanitarian crisis.

Weeks of heavy rainfall, compounded by dam releases to prevent structural failure, have affected more than 700,000 people, more than half of them children, leaving a trail of destruction across vast farmland, according to humanitarians bodies such as the World Food Program and UNICEF.

On Friday, the World Health Organization warned of severe disruptions to health services in Gaza and Maputo provinces following the destruction of at least 44 health facilities, leaving tens of thousands without access to care.

The U.N. agency said that damage to critical infrastructure has interrupted service delivery, while more than 50,000 people who have been forced to relocate to temporary shelters face limited or nonexistent basic health services.

It warned that displaced people on long-term medication face life-threatening interruptions, and said that urgent action is needed to restore essential services, deploy mobile health teams and ensure continuity of care for people with chronic conditions.

Across the three countries, humanitarian agencies say hunger and disease risks are rising, with extreme weather wiping out crops that millions of small-scale farmers rely on to feed themselves, while the threat of water-borne diseases such as cholera looms large.

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Senegal wins Africa Cup after walk-off protest, chaos over controversial penalty for host Morocco

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Senegal has won the Africa Cup of Nations in dramatic fashion.

Pape Gueye scored in extra time for the Teranga Lions to beat host Morocco 1-0 in a chaotic final on Sunday which at one point saw fans trying to storm the field and Senegal’s players walking off the pitch to protest a penalty decision deep into second-half stoppage time.

It appeared unclear if the game could continue as fans battled with stewards.

“We all saw what happened at the end of the match but we took the decision to come back onto the pitch and give everything,” Gueye said.

Play resumed after a stoppage of 14 minutes, only for Senegal's Édouard Mendy to easily save Brahim Díaz’s attempt at a Panenka penalty when he lobbed the ball straight into the goalkeeper’s arms with the last kick of normal time.

Gueye then scored the winning goal in the fourth minute of extra time when he swept the ball into the top right corner with his left boot.

The 69,500-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium emptied quickly after the final whistle. Few were left to see the Senegalese players lift the trophy.

It’s Senegal’s second Africa Cup win. The Teranga Lions won the 2021 edition after a penalty shootout against Egypt.

There was chaos before extra time after Morocco was awarded a controversial stoppage-time penalty just after Senegal had what seemed a good goal ruled out at the other end.

Senegal's goal in the second minute of stoppage time was ruled out for a foul by Abdoulaye Seck, but TV replays showed little contact on Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi, who fell before Seck headed the ball off the post. Ismaila Sarr headed in the rebound.

Then Morocco claimed a penalty for a pull by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Brahim, and it was awarded after Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala checked replays.

The decision led to fights between some of the Moroccan substitutes and their opposing players with Morocco coach Walid Regragui also involved, possibly in a bid to calm the situation.

Anger spilled over among the organized group of Senegalese fans, with many jumping down among the photographers and trying to storm the field from behind one of the goals. At least one threw a chair onto the field. They were mostly held back by a long line of police.

There were also fights in the press box — possibly involving Moroccan and Senegalese fans masquerading as journalists to get accreditation — while tempers flared.

“The image we gave of African football was rather shameful,” Regragui said.

Senegal coach Pape Thiaw led his team off the field while Moroccan fans celebrated the penalty decision and whistled the ongoing fighting on the field.

The players returned some 14 minutes later and Brahim – Morocco's star and the tournament's top scorer with five goals – missed the chance to end Morocco's 50-year wait for the trophy.

“Football sometimes is cruel and today we lost,” Regragui said. “We know in a final you need to take the few chances that come your way. That penalty in the last seconds could have won us the title.”

Brahim was whistled by the remaining Morocco fans when he went to collect his runners-up medal.

Instead, Gueye scored Senegal's first goal from open play — rather than from penalties — in a final. This was Senegal's fourth appearance in an Africa Cup final.

“Sadio (Mané) told us to come back on and we re-mobilized,” Gueye said. "Édouard then made the save, we stayed focused, got the goal and won the game.”

Before the game, the Senegalese Football Federation decried a lack of “fair play” from the Moroccan hosts before the final, citing an alleged lack of security, problems with the team hotel, training facilities and ability to get tickets for its supporters.

Senegal was without suspended captain Kalidou Koulibaly and midfielder Habib Diarra, and dealt a further blow before kickoff when Krépin Diatta and Ousseynou Niang both got injured in the warmup. Diatta had been due to start at right back.

Senegalese anger at the penalty decision came after Morocco also seemed to benefit from favorable refereeing calls in previous games. Regragui angrily rejected suggestions the home team was being favored.

Thiaw's post-game press conference was called off because of journalists shouting and arguing when he emerged for their questions. Their arguments continued after Thiaw left the podium.

For Morocco, a 2030 World Cup co-host, defeat is a demoralizing blow. The kingdom has invested heavily in soccer facilities and infrastructure. One of the most aggressive infrastructure buildouts in African sporting history fueled protests in October from mostly young Moroccans who feel other areas are being neglected.

AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations

This story was first published on Jan. 19, 2026. It was updated on Jan. 23, 2026 to correct that Ismaila Sarr, not Moussa Niakhaté, scored a goal in stoppage time that was disallowed.