Global aerospace and defence company Paramount has provided humanitarian assistance to flood-affected communities in Mozambique, deploying a rapid-response rescue boat supported by paramedics specialising in disaster medicine.
The deployment follows severe flooding that has left large areas of the country inaccessible, displacing communities and cutting off access to essential services. Paramount’s rescue team has been operating on the ground for more than a week, the company said on 28 January, working in close coordination with the Mozambican Navy to support ongoing rescue and relief efforts.
The deployed rescue boat has been instrumental in ferrying stranded civilians and their belongings to safety, transporting medical equipment, delivering food and medical supplies, and evacuating injured and vulnerable patients from flood-isolated areas to accessible medical facilities, Paramount said, adding that its paramedics have also been providing on-site medical treatment for flood-related injuries and trauma.
Paramount is providing the assistance as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, reflecting its long-standing partnership with Mozambique, where the group has supported the country’s defence force for several years. It has delivered its Mwari aircraft and Marauder armoured personnel carriers to Mozambique’s military, and supplied second hand equipment including Mi-8/17, Mi-24 and Gazelle helicopters as well as a Let-410 and a CN235 transport aircraft.
“This is about standing with the communities we serve when they need support most,” said a Paramount spokesperson. “Mozambique is a valued partner to Paramount and our commitment extends beyond defence capability to humanitarian responsibility. When disaster strikes, speed, experience and coordination save lives.”
Flooding has rendered many communities unreachable by road, significantly complicating rescue and medical response efforts. Paramount’s maritime and medical capabilities have helped bridge this gap, enabling access to remote and isolated populations.
“Our teams are trained to operate in complex, high-pressure environments,” the Paramount spokesperson added. “Working alongside the Mozambican Navy, we have been able to reach cut-off areas, evacuate patients, deliver essential supplies and provide immediate medical care where it is most urgently needed.”
This deployment is not the first time Paramount has mobilised humanitarian assistance in support of customer countries and regional communities. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the group donated food supplies to vulnerable communities in Mozambique, Ghana and Zambia, helping to alleviate food insecurity during extended lockdowns.
In 2019, Paramount also deployed its specialist K9 Search and Rescue Units to Eastern Zimbabwe following the devastation caused by Cyclone Idai. The units played a significant role in rescue and recovery operations in some of the hardest-hit areas before returning safely to South Africa.
As climate-related disasters become increasingly frequent and severe across Southern Africa, rapid response capabilities and cross-border cooperation remain critical to saving lives and accelerating recovery, Paramount said.
It reaffirmed its commitment to continuing its support efforts in Mozambique, while maintaining close coordination with local authorities to ensure assistance reaches those most in need.
