DEVELOPMENT TOPICS: Disaster relief

Disaster relief is often needed across Africa due to extreme weather conditions like drought, severe storms, flash floods, food and water insecurity. Additional risks include earthquakes, mudslides and environmental degradation.

The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the health hazards that come with inadequate water, sanitation and healthcare.  

Investing in disaster relief is especially vital as the climate crisis intensifies. Flooding drought, heatwaves and wildfires are expected to worsen across the continent, putting lives and livelihoods at risk. Philanthropic and social contributions include disaster-relief aid and volunteering, as well as establishing public-private partnerships, logistics, infrastructure and IT support to address immediate and ongoing needs. 

Supporting governments with disaster relief 

Although governments are tasked with responding to large-scale disasters, both the private sector and non-profit organisations can play a supportive and highly visible role in mitigating the effects of disasters.  

The aim of disaster management is to reduce losses caused by major disasters, help vulnerable communities become more resilient, and alleviate conditions of poverty and conflict, which undermine the ability of communities to respond to crises. During the Covid-19 pandemic, 17 African countries declared a state of emergency, along with nine that declared a national state of disaster or calamity (including South Africa, Zimbabwe and Malawi). Disaster management legislation provides a framework for responding to disasters to avoid and reduce loss.