"As long-term plans to ensure coordinated management of disaster situations in the region, SADC has established the SADC Emergency and Humanitarian Operations Center (SHOC) to enable a coordinated response to disasters and support affected member states", he said, during his speech at the opening of the summit, as acting president of SADC.
According to João Lourenço, the center has been operating since the end of April this year: "I am proud to announce that SHOC came into force on April 28, 2024, following the signature of the majority of two thirds of the member states of the SADC".
"I anticipate, and I think it is also the expectation of the citizens of our community, that with the establishment of SHOC, the region will be better prepared to deal with disaster situations in the long term. I am informed that the SHOC early warning center will be connected to both the African Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Rapid Action System Situation Diagnosis Room (AMHEWAS), as well as the Early Warning Centers of the Member States. This scenario will guarantee the exchange of advance warning information between the listed centers, in order to permeate the preparation for future events", he added.
In his speech, among other aspects, he mentioned that "below-average seasonal rainfall has led to water deficits, causing poor harvests and reduced growth of vegetation necessary for livestock and wildlife", and has also expressed concern about "episodes of unsafe water sources" which "increased the risks and cases of waterborne epidemiological outbreaks, such as cholera, which is widespread in several SADC countries".
Furthermore, on the occasion, the head of state reinforced the regional appeal for support to SADC member states experiencing difficulties in providing assistance to those affected by droughts.
The session launched SADC's appeal "for Humanitarian Assistance in Response to Drought Induced by the El Niño Phenomenon and Related Tropical Cyclones, Floods and Landslides" that are occurring in the region, affecting more than 61 million people, in value of 5.5 billion dollars.
"I would like to appeal to SADC Member States that have the means to support Member States that have presented their response needs to provide assistance of any kind, in the spirit of solidarity", said João Lourenço.
The acting president of SADC highlighted the moment of humanitarian crisis that the region is going through, as a result of the El Niño phenomenon, which has negatively affected the lives and livelihoods of more than 61 million citizens.
João Lourenço recalled that the region is being confronted by a drought, by "sudden floods and landslides arising either from heavy rains precipitated by tropical cyclones Gamane and Filipo, which devastated Madagascar, or from tropical cyclone Belal, which passed through the Mauritius in January, causing torrential rain and strong winds, which caused flooding and resulted in the loss of human life, the displacement of populations and damage to infrastructure and property".
He highlighted that tropical cyclones had chain impacts in the kingdom of Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, where heavy rains caused flash floods, which led to population displacement and damage to infrastructure and property.
At stake are "programs such as cash transfers, food aid and the provision of other aid items", he said, highlighting that the severity of the drought and associated tropical cyclones "put immense pressure on the response capacity of the majority of affected member states".
The SADC regional appeal aims to complement the efforts made by member states in the region, covering all relevant sectors of the region's economy, essentially responding to immediate humanitarian needs, as well as the needs for development and strengthening long-term resilience.
Furthermore, in his intervention the head of state also took the opportunity to condemn the attempted coup d'état in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which took place in the early hours of Sunday.
It should be noted that, this Monday, in addition to the summit, the President of the Republic was also in evidence at the eighth thematic session, which was attended by the Angolan ambassador to Ethiopia and permanent representative to the African Union, Miguel César Bembe, as a speaker. According to Angop, at the opening of this thematic session on João Lourenço, the Champion of the African Union for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa, the Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication, Mário de Oliveira, highlighted the head of State's leadership in which concerns promoting peace on the African continent, a fact that national citizens should be proud of.
