If there’s one thing about our spirit of Ubuntu is that it cannot be contained, not even by borders. South African rescue teams have returned home after sacrificing their own safety to help their neighbours during Mozambique’s devastating floods.
Johannesburg, South Africa (26 January 2026) – When our neighbours called out for help amidst chaos and danger, South Africans heeded the call without a second thought, dropping everything to step into the gap.
During the recent destructive floods in Mozambique, an incredibly skilled multidisciplinary rescue team risked their own safety to bring hope and rescue to displaced families.
This vital deployment was activated following a formal request from the Government of Mozambique, issued through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
According to Rescue South Africa, the mission was carefully conducted under international humanitarian coordination mechanisms and remained in steadfast alignment with regional disaster response frameworks.
During the deployment, the Rescue South Africa team operated in extremely challenging conditions, supporting aviation-assisted rescue operations, evacuations, medical care, and humanitarian aid delivery in flood-affected areas.
Over the course of the mission, the team directly assisted in the rescue and relocation of hundreds of affected individuals, provided medical treatment to vulnerable patients, and supported food distribution efforts as floodwaters began to recede.
When the immediate chaos settled and operational focus transitioned from active rescue to broader humanitarian relief, the decision was made to conclude the deployment and extract the team safely back to South Africa.
These brave heroes, including Rescue South Africa CEO Aidan Justus, Connor Hartnady, Travis Trower, Dr Dagmar Muhlbauer, Bradley Hatfield, Francois Pretorius, and Xavier Millar, safely returned to SA soil over the weekend, concluding a highly impactful humanitarian mission.
“This was a demanding and emotionally challenging operation, but an incredibly meaningful one,” said Aidan Justus, Chief Executive Officer of Rescue South Africa.
“Our team responded at short notice, integrated quickly into a complex international response, and made a real difference to communities in crisis. We are proud of their professionalism, resilience, and humanitarian commitment.”
The disaster response organisation further emphasised the strength of the deployment’s cross-sector collaboration, bringing together expertise from emergency services, academia, and humanitarian partners in support of regional disaster response efforts.
Rescue South Africa extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of Mozambique, UNOCHA, international response partners, and the families of the deployed team members for their trust and support throughout the mission.
The organisation remains on standby to support future humanitarian and disaster response operations, both locally and across the SADC region.
Sources: Rescue South Africa
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