Floods affect 46,000 people

Over 46,000 people have been affected by floods in Chikwawa and Nsanje districts, following heavy rains which fell in the Southern Region recently.

The floods have also claimed the life of a boy who was washed away while trying to cross a flooded river in Nsanje.

The number of the affected households was revealed when Vice-President Everton Chimulirenji visited displaced people at Matsukambiya and Phokera CBCC camps in the two districts.

Chimulirenji promised the affected people that the government will help them to get back on their feet.

“The moment I told the Professor [Peter Mutharika] that you have been affected by floods, he immediately sent me here to see how best we can assist. We have brought some relief items and more support is on its way,” he said.

At least 189 households have sought refuge at Matsukambiya camp, Traditional Authority (T/A) Lundu, Chikwawa.

Another 190 Malawian households are camping at Phokera CBCC camp in TA Mbenje, Nsanje, where 237 Mozambican families are also seeking refuge.

During the visit, Chimulirenji donated food and non-food items to the affected people.

Speaking earlier, Secretary to the Vice-President and Commissioner of Disasters, Wilson Moleni, said there was need to find lasting solutions to the problem, as the people of the two areas are affected every year.

“We have a model community right here in the Lower Shire at Mwalija where over 300 households have moved upland. We are using this as an example to say ‘look it is possible to move upland and just come in the low lying areas to cultivate your crops so that we reduce these types of accidents,” he said.

After visiting the two camps, Chimulirenji and Charles Mchacha, who is Democratic Progressive Party Southern Regional governor, conducted a rally at Misewufolo where they promised a number of development projects.

Last year, floods displaced 800,000 people and killed 60 people in the Southern Region districts such as Nsanje and Chikwawa.