The Emergency Response Team of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) arrived in Mozambique on January 24 to assist the population amid widespread flooding in the country, which has affected over 650,000 people. This was announced in a SADC press release.
The mission consists of experts in security, logistics, search and rescue operations, data collection, health emergency response, and other fields. The team is led by Brigadier General Share Mahate.
"The SADC Emergency Response Team arrived in Mozambique on January 24, where it was officially integrated into the national humanitarian coordination mechanism. The deployment is part of SADC's regional disaster response mechanisms to support the government in addressing severe flooding that has affected several provinces," the statement said.
The SADC mission will be based in Gaza Province, where approximately 390,000 people have been affected by the floods. The President of Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD), Luísa Celma Meque, thanked the organization's representatives for their support in addressing the flood impacts and aiding the population.
"She expressed sincere gratitude to SADC for its swift response and timely deployment, emphasizing that this support is crucial for strengthening national coordination, response, and relief efforts," the release noted.
In total, over 650,000 people across Mozambique have been affected by the flooding.
Earlier in January, INGD reported that floods during the ongoing rainy season in the country had claimed over 110 lives, with approximately 100 others injured. The most affected areas are Gaza Province, the capital Maputo, and the province of the same name, where 60 temporary accommodation centers have been set up for more than 55,000 displaced persons.
On January 18, Mozambican President Daniel Chapo canceled his trip to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, due to the severe flooding in the country.
To assist Mozambique in searching for missing persons and mitigating the disaster's impacts, the South African National Defence Force deployed an Air Force helicopter and an emergency rescue team to Maputo.
