GABORONE, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will work with member states to improve early warning systems and develop annual contingency plans to ensure that member states are always prepared to handle any disasters, said the executive secretary of SADC on Wednesday.
Nearly 400 villagers were killed in flooding and landslides brought by torrential rains in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) earlier this month.
Executive Secretary of the SADC, Elias Magosi, expressed condolences to the people of DRC following the deaths of over 400 people.
"We are also aware that many more are still missing and with others injured and that the disaster caused extensive damage to property and infrastructure," said Magosi.
Magosi said that SADC is currently working with the Civil Protection Unit of the DRC to assess the impact of natural disasters and provide aid to those affected. ■