Deadly floods in Botswana kill 9; nearly 2,000 people evacuated

Botswana authorities say at least nine people were confirmed dead Monday, as rare flooding hit the semi-arid country. More than 5,000 people have been affected by the floods as record rainfall fell over the last week.

Addressing Parliament on Monday, Moeti Mohwasa, the minister for state president, said the nine people who died had all drowned. Of the deceased, six were minors.

"While the risk level has generally reduced ... I regret to inform this house that we have lost one more person yesterday evening, bringing to nine the total number of fatalities to date. … So far, the number of people evacuated has increased to 1,806 from 1,749 reported yesterday," Mohwasa said.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said at least 600,000 schoolchildren were experiencing disruptions due to the floods.

Schools have been closed since last week, but Mohwasa said most are expected to reopen on Tuesday.

"After a thorough assessment of the situation, I am happy to announce that schools will reopen tomorrow, February 25, 2025,” he said. “Another positive note is that our critical infrastructure remains [s] stable, with both electricity and water supply fully restored. Our 24-hour clinics, primary hospitals, and referral hospitals are operational and accessible to all, although there may be occasional interruptions in service provision."

While the situation is improving with rain subsiding, more than 600 people remained at evacuation centres Monday.

Calvin Moalosi, a Gaborone resident who was at one of the centres, said he lost his belongings due to the floods.

"I have never seen so much water in my life. The house became a pool of water, and it is really sad that some people were swept away in the floods,” Moalosi said. “The government has done its best to evacuate people and take them to safe areas."

Most parts of the country recorded heavy rains from 150 mm (6 inches) to 200 mm (8 inches) in a 24-hour period several times last week.

Kutlwano Mukokomani, chief executive at the local Red Cross Society, said the organization is continuing to provide relief at evacuation centres across the country.

"The Botswana Red Cross Society provided relief items to evacuation centres. We continue to provide these relief items to ensure that our communities are kept safe. We provided food items, blankets, mattresses and also hygiene packs. We are also doing assessments so that they can further guide our response," Mukokomani said.

Botswana, like most southern African countries, has been recovering from the devastating El Nino-induced drought.