On Friday, South African officials began distributing emergency money to assist tens of thousands of people who have been left without shelter, water, or electricity as a result of flash floods that washed away houses and highways on the country's east coast, killing almost 400 people.
Power lines have been knocked down, water services have been shut down, and operations at one of Africa's biggest ports have been affected by floods in Kwazulu-Natal Province. The death toll increased to 395 on Friday, up from a previous estimate of 341, according to national broadcaster SABC.
After the province was declared a disaster region, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana informed TV station Newsroom Afrika that an initial one billion rand ($68.3 million) for emergency aid was ready for immediate use. The damage has been estimated at several billion rand by local officials.