Zimbabwe continues to grapple with the devastating effects of the 2025/26 rainfall season, which has so far claimed 50 lives, destroyed 22 schools and two health facilities, and affected 452 homesteads across the country. The latest update comes from the Department of Civil Protection Unit (CPU) in its sixth situation report (STREP), detailing the widespread destruction and urgent needs of affected communities.
According to the report, Manicaland province has recorded the highest number of fatalities at 23, followed by Mashonaland West and Midlands, each reporting 12 deaths. The distribution of affected homesteads is similarly concentrated in several provinces: Mashonaland East tops the list with 127 homes damaged, Mashonaland Central recorded 97, while Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South have seen 15 and nine homesteads impacted, respectively.
The CPU attributes the widespread damage to intense rainfall and severe weather conditions experienced across multiple provinces. “Zimbabwe experienced intense rainfall leading to widespread impacts across multiple provinces,” the report states. The Meteorological Services Department, in coordination with the CPU, had issued a weather advisory for the period 5–10 December 2025, warning of heavy rains, lightning, hailstorms, and strong winds expected in Manicaland, Masvingo, Harare Metropolitan, Mashonaland East, and Mashonaland Central provinces.
Shamva District in Mashonaland Central was particularly hard hit. On 7 December, a powerful storm brought heavy rains, strong winds, and hail, causing extensive damage to both infrastructure and livelihoods. Among the worst-affected institutions was Centre Zimbabwe Africa High School, where the roof of a double-storey classroom block was completely blown off. The storm also compromised the structural integrity of the upper floor, shattered windows, and destroyed ceiling materials and teaching aids, leaving the school in urgent need of repairs.
Flooding Disaster: 50 Dead and Major Destruction to Schools, Homes Nationwide
Tragically, the storm also resulted in human casualties. Two children in Ward 5 were hospitalized after a building collapsed on them, while 18 houses and critical infrastructure—including toilets, kitchens, churches, and fowl runs—were destroyed. The CPU noted that these losses disrupted daily life and forced multiple families from their homes.
Livelihoods were severely affected, with the destruction of livestock, including goats and chickens, and the loss of agricultural produce such as maize and tobacco, which threatens household incomes and food security in the impacted wards.
In Mangwe District, Matabeleland South, a hailstorm destroyed two classroom blocks at Valukhalo Secondary School, although no injuries were reported. The damage adds to growing concerns over the state of education infrastructure in areas prone to extreme weather.
In Mhondoro-Ngezi District, wards 6, 7, 14, and 16 bore the brunt of heavy rainfall on the night of 2 December. Eight families in Ward 6, sixteen in Ward 7, twelve in Ward 14, and fifteen in Ward 16 reported damaged homes, with losses extending to food reserves, clothing, and essential national documents. The district CPU is appealing for immediate assistance, including tents, food items, and approximately 160 litres of fuel to facilitate further assessments and provide counselling to affected families.
The CPU’s report underscores the urgent need for coordinated humanitarian intervention across the affected provinces. With homes and schools destroyed, infrastructure compromised, and livelihoods disrupted, many communities remain highly vulnerable. Relief efforts are focused not only on immediate shelter and food needs but also on long-term support to restore income-generating activities, particularly in agriculture and livestock management.
Officials are also emphasising disaster preparedness measures as Zimbabwe continues to face unpredictable weather patterns. Early warnings from the Meteorological Services Department proved timely but insufficient to prevent widespread damage, highlighting the need for community-level resilience initiatives and strengthened infrastructure capable of withstanding extreme weather events.
The ongoing situation paints a stark picture of the humanitarian and economic toll of Zimbabwe’s 2025/26 rainfall season. With heavy rains, hail, and strong winds affecting multiple provinces, the government and humanitarian partners are urged to scale up interventions to prevent further loss of life and accelerate the recovery of affected communities.
As the country battles these extreme weather events, authorities continue to monitor rainfall patterns and mobilise resources to support displaced families, repair damaged schools and health facilities, and restore livelihoods, emphasising the importance of coordinated action in mitigating the impacts of natural disasters.
Source- Herald
