Swazi Observer

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14 SCHOOLS AFFECTED BY STORM

By NOKUPHILA HAJI AND BONGIWE DLAMINI | 2024-10-30

ABOUT 14 schools have been affected by the back-to-back storm that hit some parts of the country from Saturday.

The storm continued until Monday evening.

So far only three regions had schools destroyed by the storm. The Hhohho region led with six schools while Lubombo and Manzini each had four.

National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Director Early Warning and Research Eric Seyama yesterday said on Monday, some parts of the country experienced harsh winds and damaging hailstorms which caused yet another destruction.

Seyama said this had a far-reaching impact, on education and the communities well-being at large.

He said 236 households were also severely impacted by these back-to-back storms, affecting 1 272 people.

He said over 8 000 power outages were reported across various regions, highlighting that the storm was disrupting daily life and access to essential services.

Seyama said many homes experienced significant damages, with roofs being blown off.

He said hail from the storm also affected agricultural lands, maize fields and vegetable gardens. He said this was challenging since these were crucial resources for food security.

Seyama added that in collaboration with the Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society (BRECS), they were coordinating response interventions to address the immediate needs of those who were affected.

He said 32 households had already been supported with relief material which included tarpaulins to provide temporary shelter.

On that note, acting Principal Secretary in the ministry of Education and Training Naniki Mnisi said their teams toured the affected schools with Micro-Projects so as to ascertain the damage.

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