According to official figures released by South African authorities, heavy rains and storms over the past two weeks have caused severe flooding, resulting in more than 30 deaths and leaving several others missing. In addition, thousands of people are believed to have crossed into neighboring Mozambique to seek refuge.
In a statement issued yesterday, Elias Sithole, head of South Africa’s National Disaster Management Centre, said the agency had been compelled to classify the current flooding situation as a national disaster.
Storm Idai caused severe flooding across several central provinces of Mozambique. (File photo: Dinh Luong/VNA Correspondent in Mozambique)
Beyond South Africa, two other southern African nations—Mozambique and Zimbabwe—are also grappling with serious flooding caused by days of persistent heavy rainfall. In Mozambique, the National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction announced on January 17 that 103 people had died during an unusually severe rainy season since late last year. The total number of people affected by flooding in Mozambique has surpassed 200,000, with thousands of homes damaged and tens of thousands displaced.
In Zimbabwe, the country’s disaster management agency reported that 70 people have died and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed by heavy rains over the past two weeks. Flooding has also been reported in Malawi, Zambia, and the island nation of Madagascar.