South Africa declares National Disaster as floods and storms devastate 7 Provinces
SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa has declared a national disaster following the widespread destruction caused by floods and storms that ravaged seven provinces, leaving at least 10 people dead with hundreds displaced in the Eastern Cape alone.
This proclamation facilitates a unified government response to alleviate the crisis.
Head of the National Disaster Management Centre Elias Sithole said, “We are facing a devastating situation that requires immediate action to protect lives and restore critical infrastructure. Our focus is on supporting affected communities through this catastrophic event.”
“Declaring a national disaster enables the national government to take primary responsibility for coordinating and managing the relief efforts, ensuring a unified and effective response to the devastating floods and storms,”said Sithole.
Severe weather conditions battered seven provinces in South Africa from October 22 to 29, leaving a trail of destruction. The affected provinces include Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Limpopo, North-West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga which faced disruptive rains, floods, strong winds and hail.
South Africa’s latest national disaster declaration comes nearly a year after a similar climate-related crisis in September and October 2023 which ravaged three coastal provinces.
This year, the country has faced unprecedented weather extremes, including unseasonal snowfall in September that shut down a key highway for 48 hours and a historic November snowfall – the first in 85 years.
