Southern African countries won't manage disasters unless they work together

India, April 19 -- Of SADC's 16-member states only Angola, Botswana, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa contributed to the relief efforts after Cyclone Idai

Cyclone Idai, which recently devastated Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, was one of the worst natural disasters to hit the southern African region. It killed at least a thousand people and caused damages estimated at $2 billion .

The response from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states, civil society, the private sector and individuals in the region points to the need for a collective, regional approach to addressing natural disasters - rather than individual countries working alone.

Idai also showed, once again, just how unprepared SADC is to respond to major...