The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has deployed its Emergency Response Team (ERT) to assist Mozambique and South Africa following floods and extreme weather conditions that have resulted in loss of life, destruction of infrastructure and disruption of essential services.
In a statement, SADC said the deployment was part of its regional disaster response mechanisms aimed at supporting Government-led interventions in affected member states.
“The deployment of the SADC ERT is intended to support the governments of Mozambique and South Africa in their ongoing response to the recent floods and extreme weather conditions,” SADC said.
The regional bloc said the ERT would be deployed from January 23 to 31, 2026, during which time it would work closely with national authorities to strengthen emergency response and early recovery efforts.
“The team will provide support in emergency response, early recovery operations, continuous monitoring of the situation and consolidation of a regional humanitarian appeal based on evolving impact assessments,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, prolonged rainfall across the region has led to river overflows, dam spillages, flash floods and flooding of low-lying areas in several Member States, including Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with Mozambique and South Africa experiencing the most severe impacts.
According to SADC, more than one million people have been affected by flooding across the region, with some communities displaced and lives lost.
“The scale of the impact underscores the urgent need for a coordinated regional response to support affected communities,” SADC said.
In Mozambique, flooding has affected central and southern regions, particularly Gaza, Maputo, Sofala, Inhambane and Manica provinces, prompting the government to declare a Red Alert on January 16, 2026, and appeal for humanitarian assistance.
In South Africa, the government declared a State of National Disaster on January 18, 2026, following severe flooding in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.
SADC said the Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC) was coordinating the regional response in collaboration with international partners.
“SHOC is working closely with OCHA, national disaster management structures and international partners, including IFRC and the UNDAC mechanism, to support government-led response efforts,” the statement said.
The regional body said the ERT would assist by assessing humanitarian needs and advising on targeted regional interventions.
“These efforts are aimed at ensuring an effective, coordinated and timely humanitarian response to the flood impacts affecting the region,” SADC said.
