Heavy rainfall continues to affect several countries in southern Africa, causing extensive flooding and resulting in a humanitarian impact. In South Africa, at least seven people have died as a result of the floods. The floods have also caused damage to infrastructure and agricultural land, and the national government declared a state of disaster in response to the floods in seven provinces, including Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Northern Cape, and North West.

In Mozambique, the number of fatalities has increased to seven, and the number of affected people has reached 37,000 in Maputo City and Province, according to the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD). In the last 24 hours, authorities have rescued about 1,400 people in Boane, Magude, and Moamba Districts in Maputo Province, while 15,403 people have been rescued in the southern part of the country between 7 and 12 February. More than 7,000 houses, 15 health centres, and 15 schools have been damaged or destroyed by flooding. Authorities have begun discharges of the Pequenos Limbombos Dam located south of Maputo City.

In Eswatini, nearly 260 people have been affected by floods, while extensive damage to some infrastructure, including six bridges, was reported across the country.

According to forecasts, moderate to locally heavy rainfall is expected over most of eastern South Africa, most of Eswatini, and central-western Mozambique on 14-15 February. This indicates that the flooding situation is likely to continue and may worsen in the coming days.

The floods have had a significant humanitarian impact, with many people being displaced from their homes and experiencing losses of property and livelihoods. The situation also highlights the urgent need for disaster preparedness and response measures to be put in place to mitigate the effects of flooding on vulnerable communities in southern Africa.

The governments of the affected countries, humanitarian actors, and the international community should work together to provide emergency assistance to those affected by the floods, including shelter, food, and water. Long-term solutions are also needed to address the root causes of flooding and to build resilience among communities to mitigate the impact of future disasters.