Maputo, 19 Jan (AIM) – The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has deployed a specialized search and rescue team to assist Mozambican authorities in the escalating flood crisis following torrential rainfall across the Southern Africa region.
In a statement, the SANDF explains that, as part of “Operation CHARIOT”, a South African Air Force Oryx helicopter and an advance search and rescue team “have been deployed to Maputo to support Mozambican authorities in their emergency response.”
“The aircraft and personnel landed successfully in Maputo, and will operate in cooperation with various emergency rescue teams as well as disaster management agencies of Mozambique,” the SANDF says, underscoring the priority of coordinated multinational action in the face of worsening conditions.
The deployment, according to the document, follows the SANDF’s ongoing domestic operations to assist communities in South Africa’s Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, where flooding has left people stranded and infrastructure damaged.
According to the Mozambican authorities, at least 103 people have died as intense rains inundated the central and southern provinces, leaving at least 200,000 people affected and thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.
The flooding in Mozambique has forced tens of thousands into accommodation centres and disrupted essential infrastructure, including food supply and water systems.
(AIM)
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