Disaster description:
Severe flooding and landslides, triggered by heavy rainfall from April 11-13, 2022, had devastating impacts on southern and south-eastern South Africa, particularly in the Provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. This catastrophic event resulted in the tragic loss of 448 lives, displaced over 40,000 people, and completely destroyed more than 12,000 houses in the affected regions. The destruction extended to crucial infrastructures such as roads, health centers, and schools.
By April 18, the severity of the floods led the President of South Africa to declare a national state of disaster. Rescue teams were promptly deployed to provide humanitarian assistance to the most affected areas. The International Disaster Charter 755 was activated for South Africa in response to this crisis, as reported by ECHO on April 19, 2022.
On April 20, a DG ECHO field mission highlighted the unattended needs in remote and isolated severely affected areas. Urgent requirements included food, clean water, hygiene packs, health services, psychological first aid (PFA), protection, and education in emergencies.
The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, recognizing the ongoing challenges, initiated plans to establish 4,396 temporary accommodation sites by the end of the week. These sites aimed to relocate families currently housed in community halls, churches, and schools. Despite reprioritizing R1 billion towards disaster relief interventions, the province expressed the need for more than R1.9 billion to complete the necessary work, according to the Government of South Africa on April 26, 2022.
As rains continued, parts of KwaZulu-Natal faced recurring devastating flooding, leading to further evacuations, flooded houses, and impassable roads. An orange level warning was issued on May 23 for disruptive rain, floods, and mudslides over the extreme north-eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal. Six weeks after the initial floods, many remain in evacuation shelters facing an uncertain future. The government is actively working on identifying suitable land for new settlements for the displaced. However, thousands still find themselves homeless, living in shelters across the province, as reported by the IFRC on June 14, 2022.