Floods in Malawi have left four people dead and more than 15 000 people homeless while causing extensive damage to desperately-needed maize crops, relief officials said on Sunday.
”The situation is very bad. Extensive flooding has taken place,” said Lucius Chikni, commissioner of disaster and relief.
”Thousands of people are homeless and there has been extensive crop damage,” he added.
Two people died when heavy rains hit the south of the country on Thursday, caused four big rivers to burst their banks. Two others died last week when flooding occurred in the north of the country, leaving 290 families homeless.
The main highway connecting the commercial centre Blantyre to Lilongwe the administrative capital, was reported to have been heavily damaged in some sections.
High tension power lines were brought down by the storm, disrupting power supply in Blantyre on Sunday for several hours.
Chikuni said he and Poverty and Disaster Management Minister Lee Mlanga on Sunday flew by helicopter to the affected lakeshore districts of Ntcheu and Dedza, to conduct an assessment of the situation.
He said most of the flooding had been caused by tropical cyclone Delfina which hit the country last week, and was aggravated by environmental degradation.
The floods are likely to increase hardship in a country where some three million people are threatened by famine.
Floods last year were partly responsible for causing the current food shortages in the southern African country. Malawi needs 600 000 tons of maize, its national staple, to stave off famine. – Sapa-AFP