After seven of its nine provinces were submerged by flooding brought on by heavy rains, South Africa declared a national disaster on Monday. Farmers also suffered losses, and roads and bridges were destroyed.
The national weather service expects the heavy rains to continue, according to a White House statement.
According to the statement, the government “declared a national state of disaster to enable an intensive, coordinated response to the impact of floods,” but no details regarding casualties were provided.
It claimed that the La Nia global weather phenomenon, which happens in the Pacific Ocean, was to blame for the intense rains.
“These conditions demand the provision of temporary shelters, food, and blankets to homeless families and individuals and the large-scale, costly rehabilitation of infrastructure,” the statement added.