Regional Team Deploys to Help Mozambique Flood Victims

When catastrophic flooding swept through Mozambique in January 2025, submerging homes and cutting off entire communities, help arrived fast from an unexpected source: neighbors.

The Southern African Development Community deployed its Emergency Response Team to Xai-Xai, Mozambique, on January 24, just eight days after the government declared a Red Alert. The multidisciplinary team brings together experts in search and rescue, public health, logistics, and disaster coordination from across Southern Africa.

Over 651,000 Mozambicans have been affected by the unprecedented flooding, which reached water levels never seen before in areas previously considered safe. Twelve people have lost their lives, and more than 71,000 homes have been flooded across four provinces.

Gaza Province faced the worst devastation, with nearly 400,000 people impacted and entire neighborhoods remaining underwater and unreachable. Critical infrastructure including 364 schools and 229 health facilities suffered damage, disrupting education and healthcare for thousands of families.

President Luísa Celma Meque of Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Risk Management welcomed the regional team personally, thanking SADC for its swift response. She emphasized that the international support would be critical to strengthening rescue operations and getting supplies to isolated communities.

The Bright Side: This deployment showcases how regional cooperation can save lives when disaster strikes. Instead of waiting for distant international aid, neighboring countries pooled their expertise and resources to respond within days. The team integrated immediately into Mozambique's existing coordination structure, ensuring that local leadership drives the response while benefiting from specialized regional knowledge.

Humanitarian workers continue working around the clock to reach stranded families and deliver essential supplies. Roads remain washed out in many areas, making boats and helicopters the only access points to some communities.

Brigadier General Chere Makhetha leads the SADC mission, serving as the primary liaison between the regional team and Mozambican authorities. His team's expertise in civil-military coordination ensures that rescue efforts remain organized and effective even as floodwaters continue threatening new areas.

The rapid regional response demonstrates that African nations are building stronger systems to protect each other during crises, turning neighbors into lifelines when minutes matter most.