Malawi President Peter Mutharika has
declared half the southern African country a
disaster zone after torrential rains over the past
few days killed at least 48 people and left around
The heavy rains have also damaged crops in the
country, which last year harvested a bumper 3.9
million tonnes of the staple maize crop, a surplus
of almost a million tonnes.
Malawi's Department of Climate Change and
Meteorological Services has warned of heavy
rainfall and flash floods in the country for the
next two to three weeks.
"So far, it is estimated that 69 995 people have
been displaced by the floods and 48 people have
lost their lives. The floods have also damaged a
lot of hectares of crops, washed away livestock
and damaged infrastructure such as roads and
bridges,"
Mutharika said in a statement late on Tuesday.
He also said many people remained stranded and
would need to be rescued from low-lying areas
prone to flooding.
"I declare all the 15 districts that have been
affected by floods Disaster Areas... I appeal for
humanitarian assistance, from the international
donor community," he said.
The crop outlook in the country, where much
agriculture is still done by subsistence farmers,
has deteriorated after a late start to rains in the
summer planting season which usually gets
underway in October or November.
"Delayed and overall below-average cumulative
rains since the start of the rainy season in
October last year have adversely affected the
2015 cereal crops, but prolonged heavy rains
may worsen the situation," said Jeffrey Luhanga,
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture.
Wet weather has also wreaked damage in
neighbouring Mozambique, which has been hit
periodically by catastrophic floods in the past.
Bridges have collapsed in the country and the
newly elected government there has declared a
"red alert" for the central and northern parts of
the country and was sending rescue boats and
aid to stricken areas.
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