The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) continues to provide critical humanitarian assistance to flood-affected communities following widespread flooding caused by persistent heavy rainfall across the region. Severe weather over the past two weeks has resulted in rising water levels and extensive damage in parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces where SANDF search and rescue teams remain actively engaged in evacuation and relief operations.
As part of its ongoing regional support efforts, the SANDF deployed an additional search and rescue team on Sunday, 18 January 2026 to assist neighbouring Mozambique which has also been severely affected by inclement weather. The deployment includes an Oryx helicopter from the South African Air Force tasked with conducting aerial search and rescue missions in areas that are difficult or inaccessible by ground.
The aircraft and its advance team landed safely in Maputo and will operate in close cooperation with Mozambican emergency rescue services disaster management authorities and other responding agencies. The joint effort forms part of Operation CHARIOT aimed at supporting humanitarian relief operations and enhancing regional disaster response capabilities.
In addition to search and rescue tasks, the SANDF team is expected to assist with reconnaissance evacuation of stranded civilians and the delivery of emergency supplies where required. More air assets are scheduled to be deployed from South Africa as the situation develops ensuring continued support to affected communities and reinforcing South Africa’s commitment to regional cooperation during times of crisis.
