SADC says its disaster response team in Mozambique is still struggling to reach communities that the recent floods have cut off. More than 600 000 people have been affected in Gaza province, with over 10 000 square kilometres still submerged. Leader of the SADC team, Lesothos Brigadier-General Chere Makhetha, says many areas remain inaccessible, making it difficult to assess the extent of the damage.
The ground is still submerged underwater. We cannot actually assess the kind of damage that we want to assess so that we can respond positively. However, the first mission was to save lives, which is what we need and what we are continuing to do. We saved them, rescued them from that area, took them to a certain place, and started providing humanitarian needs and all the stuff. That is the first thing that we are doing currently, says Makhetha.
