Hundreds of flood-ravaged families in Hwange District have received emergency food relief from the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation (BTCF), as the humanitarian organisation intensified its response to devastating floods that have battered communities across Zimbabwe since the start of 2026.
Tzu Chi volunteers travelled to Hwange in February, distributing rice and maize meal to affected households and handing bread to children at distribution sites.
Among those reached was 79-year-old grandmother Tabeth, who lives with paralysis in both legs and had faced severe hardship following the floods. Volunteers personally carried rice to her home.
“Together, we can make a change,” one volunteer said, a conviction the organisation says was reinforced throughout the cleanup operations across the region.
The relief mission was, however, overshadowed by tragedy. A senior Tzu Chi volunteer,Tino Chu, unexpectedly passed away during the operation after an exhausting first day of distributing aid. Fellow volunteers have vowed to carry on in his memory.
“Fellow volunteers have since continued the planned humanitarian activities in his memory and remain committed to completing support for flood-affected communities in Hwange,” the Foundation said in a statement.
Volunteers also held meetings with local authorities to assess community conditions and explore further support in the district.
The Hwange operations form part of Tzu Chi’s broader southern Africa flood response, which spans Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
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Across the region, the Foundation said continuous heavy rains and intensified weather systems since early 2026 had left communities “displaced, homes damaged, water sources contaminated, and livelihoods disrupted.”
In neighbouring Malawi, the scale of the crisis has been staggering.
Flooding between January and March 2026 struck 16 districts, killing 13 people, injuring 35, and displacing thousands.
In Chikwawa and Nsanje districts alone, assessments identified “more than 18 800 affected households and over 53 000 affected individuals.”
Food security data suggests “approximately four million people across Malawi are facing acute food insecurity conditions.”
Tzu Chi said it was engaging local authorities to evaluate long-term support possibilities, even as volunteers continued distributing emergency supplies under difficult conditions.
