El Niño: Mozambique ranked as one of the 'most vulnerable' African countries

As the world faces a record-breaking super El Niño, the United Nations has warned that Mozambique is ranked as one of the 'most vulnerable' countries in Africa.

The powerful weather system is projected to bring severe heatwaves, below-normal rainfall, and heightened drought risks across Southern Africa.

"Mozambique is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change on the planet, despite having contributed very little to it, said Elisa Morgera, UN Special Rapporteur on climate change.

Speaking at the end of an 11-day working visit to the country, she said in the “coming months, in the context of the 2026 super El Nino, prolonged droughts, cyclones, and floods are predicted."

This latest climate warning comes as Mozambique faces acute economic strain following catastrophic flooding earlier this year.

Morgera called on multinational companies operating in the country to avoid environmental damage.

"It is necessary to define very clear obligations for private companies that they have a responsibility to respect human rights and avoid foreseeable environmental and climate damage; this is particularly true for fossil fuel companies,” she said.

Three and a half million people are already experiencing acute food insecurity in Mozambique. The two other most vulnerable countries in Africa have been named as Malawi and Madagascar.