Writing for Al Jazeera, Richard Nield reports that Malawi is suffering a humanitarian emergency and the impact of the record floods will be felt for months, if not years. Neild writes:
“More than a million people have been affected by Malawi’s worst rains in the 50 years since independence in 1964. Floods have washed away tens of thousands of houses, destroyed crops, and wiped out livestock in the southern African nation – one of the poorest in the world.
According to UN figures published on February 4, 336,000 people have been displaced by the floods, which hit 15 of Malawi’s 28 districts. There have been 104 confirmed deaths and 172 people are missing. The broader impact of the destruction of agriculture means that an estimated 1.15 million people have been affected nationwide.”
Although International aid organizations have stepped in to try to provide food, shelter and basic services for those who have been displaced, thousands have been cut off from aid because of the scale of the disaster and the difficulty of locating scattered groups of people. The government has declared a State of Disaster.
Read more at Al Jazeera.
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