Southern Africa Southern Africa faces a variety of social and environmental hazards, including floods, droughts, food insecurity, political instability and epidemics. It experienced 47 humanitarian emergencies between 2000 and 2012, the majority of which were primarily associated with environmental factors. Twenty-six involved flooding that affected 500,000 people or more. Seven were linked to sociopolitical triggers and three to epidemics. A legacy of conflict in some countries, e.g. Angola and Mozambique, means large numbers of people are still affected by violence and human-induced emergencies, especially in urban areas. Structural inequalities, chronic malnutrition and HIV/ AIDS compound the risk of crisis, and demographic growth is a constant challenge. Southern Africa’s population is expected to rise from 167 million in 2012 to 215 million in 2025, with 56 per cent of people in urban areas that lack capacity and infrastructure. Many will live in slums that lack basic services.
26 Number of flood events in Southern Africa that affected more than 500,000 people between 2000 and 201282
In nine of 14 countries, between 20 and 25 per cent of the population is aged between 15 and 24 years. Many are unemployed or underemployed. Regional protocols on free trade and free movement mean that people are becoming increasingly mobile, and transboundary emergencies are becoming more frequent. Global shocks, such as the global food and financial crises of 2007/8, spread easily throughout the region.
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