The South African National Defence Force has deployed humanitarian teams to flood-ravaged Malawi and Mozambique in the aftermath of the past week’s torrential rains and Tropical Cyclone Idai which made landfall along the east African seaboard on Friday.

The SANDF said on Saturday that it had been called on to assist in support of the humanitarian efforts in both Malawi and Mozambique currently facing serious floods.

“The SANDF has committed air assets and personnel to supplement joint inter departmental‚ inter agency and multi-national efforts as authorised by the President of the Republic of South Africa.

“A team of 10 military health practitioners with search and rescue air assets were dispatched to Malawi on Saturday. Front elements were also deployed to Mozambique to assess the situation with the view to assist on the ground for humanitarian purposes‚” the SANDF said in a brief statement.