By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his sadness at the two natural disasters that claimed close to 8,000 lives collectively and displaced tens of thousands of residents in eastern Libya and Morocco.
More than 2 000 people died in an earthquake last weekend in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco while more than 5 000 people perished due to floods associated with Storm Daniel in eastern Libya.
The most recent toll on Tuesday showed, at least 2,901 killed and 5,530 injured in the 6.8 magnitude quake that struck late Friday when many were at home.
In Libya, more than 6,000 people have perished due to floods associated with Storm Daniel in eastern Libya on Monday.
Two river dams burst after the storm hit on Sunday afternoon, releasing an enormous surge of water that tore through the Mediterranean coastal city, sweeping away buildings and the people inside them.
The Libyan Presidential Council declared the cities of Derna, Shahat, and Al-Bayda in Cyrenaica disaster zones and requested international support to confront the effects of the floods caused by the storm.
Ramaphosa said in a statement on Wednesday, South Africans felt the loss and pain by the citizens of both countries.
“South Africa shares the pain and loss felt by the people of eastern Libya and Morocco. These disasters highlight, once more, the frailty of life when confronted with the forces of nature.”
Meanwhile President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi declared a three-day mourning period in Egypt, and directed armed forces personnel to provide humanitarian aid, including relief teams, rescue equipment and shelter camps for Libya and Morocco.