Vice President Saulos Chilima yesterday 21 January 2015, issued a statement on the current flood situation in Malawi. In it he said that Malawi’s Department of Surveys estimates that 63,531 hectares (about 245 square miles) have been left under water by the recent floods.
Nsanje and Chikwawa, Malawi Jan 2015
Areas and Numbers Affected
Since later December, floods have affected 15 of the country’s 28 districts, including Chikwawa, Nsanje, Phalombe, Zomba, Rumphi, Karonga, Thyolo, Machinga, Mangochi, Ntcheu, Chiradzulu, Mulanje, Balaka, Salima and Blantyre.
The Department of Surveys estimates that 63,531 hectares have been submerged by flood waters as of 21 January 2015 – about 245 square miles, an area just under the size of Singapore.
Displaced
There remains some confusion over numbers of casualties and displaced. Figures understandably change as further assessments are carried out.
In his statement, the Vice President said that currently 121,000 households were displaced. Most of those displaced are living in displacement sites like churches, schools and evacuation centres. In an earlier statement, the UN said that the number of displaced is 121,000 people rather than households.
Casualties
The latest figures from the Government regarding the number of victims puts the total at 62 deaths, with a further 153 people still missing.
Crop Damage
The Malawi government estimates that around 120,000 farmers country-wide have been affected by the floods, which have submerged around 40,000 hectares of farm land. The government say this represents an expected food production loss of over 48,000 metric tons.
Malawi Defence Force Rescues
Rescue operations continue and the Malawi Defence Force and other organisations have been using boats and helicopters to rescue those still cut off by the floods and to find those (153) still missing.
The MDF has also been involved in delivery of relief items, which is still ongoing.
Aid and Relief
WFP say that huge amounts of relief food is needed to feed thousands of displaced people in Malawi.
International governments have been quick to respond to the crisis and contributions have come from countries including US, UK, Japan, South Africa, EU, Canada and Zambia, with further promises from Ireland and Germany once a Disaster Response Plan has been finalised.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on 20 January, 2015:
“Search and rescue operations continue with relief supplies being dispatched to affected areas, and such assistance includes food and non-food items and chlorine for water treatment in affected communities.”
The Red Cross, with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, plans to assist 40,000 affected people in Chikwawa, Nsanje, Phalombe and some urban parts of the city of Blantyre between February and March.
Ethel Kaimila, Secretary General of the Malawi Red Cross Society, said that “Working through our local volunteers, we have been responding to the disaster and helping victims in all the affected areas,”
Apart from general response operations, the Red Cross has directly supported 7,000 displaced people with tarpaulins, family tents, shelter kits, mosquito nets and hospital tents.
“The affected people will need continued support for some time and we need 2.7 million US dollars to provide such support between,” added Kaimila.
Funds raised will be used to distribute additional emergency relief supplies such as kitchen sets, shelter kits and tarpaulins; food supplies to support displaced families for three months, and to rehabilitate 600 houses damaged by the floods.
