2016–2017 Zimbabwe floods

Zimbabwe experienced severe floods from December 2016 through March 2017 due to heavy rains that followed a two-year drought.

Zimbabwe's rainy season began in October 2016, continuing through December. The situation was worsened by Cyclone Dineo, which made landfall in Mozambique on 15 February 2017. It was downgraded to a tropical depression as it crossed into Zimbabwe the following day. Up to 100 mm of rain fell within 24 hours, causing the Gwayi River to overflow, flooding nearby villages and destroying homesteads and public infrastructure.

Forty-five districts were affected, with Matabeleland, Midlands, Masvingo, Mashonaland West, Manicaland, and Metropolitan provinces hit hardest. The government estimated that the floods killed 251 and injured at least 128 people. Private and public infrastructure were damaged or destroyed, including 5 bridges, more than 140 dams, 388 schools, and 2,579 houses, leaving many people marooned and homeless. Nearly 2,000 people were internally displaced in the worst affected Tsholotsho district, of which over 859 (mostly children) were sheltered in a temporary camp. Water supply infrastructure was damaged, compromising water quality, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), leaving up to 100,000 people without safe drinking water, and contributing to disease outbreaks including typhoid, cholera, and malaria.

The Zimbabwean Government declared the floods a national emergency at the beginning of March 2017, issuing appeals to the private sector, development partners, NGOs, and foreign governments for international assistance. The total funding needed for immediate emergency assistance and long-term infrastructure rebuilding was estimated at US$189 million.