As Floodwaters Recede Needs Grow in Malawi, Mozambique

Written by Stephanie Kriner, Staff Writer, RedCross.org

March 21, 2001 —  Although forecasters say that the worst of the flooding is over, the needs of Mozambique and Malawi disaster victims continue to grow, according to relief organizations working in the area. More and more people are being found stranded by floodwaters, while others journey by foot or boat to shelters in search of food and water.

Some areas remain isolated, forcing relief officials to deliver aid by air, which is costly and difficult because aircraft can only transport small quantities. Relief organizations, unable to reach all the affected areas, have yet to receive a clear picture of the needs.

The UN's World Food Program (WFP) reports that the numbers of people relying on them for food continues to increase. At one camp in Chupanga, on the lower banks of the Zambezi River, the population increased from 2,000 to 9,000 in a week.

"The irony is that now that the situation is becoming more stable, greater numbers of people are moving into camps," said WFP spokesperson Inyene Udoyen in Maputo, Mozambique. The agency reported that people who refused to evacuate before are now fleeing their homes because their food stocks are running out, and rivers remain above flood stage. The floods displaced some 89,000 people in Mozambique, killed 77 and affected 490,000. Meanwhile in Malawi, at least 60,000 people are homeless, and hundreds of thousands have been affected.

Although the death toll has stayed relatively low, more people could die in coming months as a result of flood-related diseases, such as cholera and malaria, health experts warn. Already, five people have died of cholera and 85 others are infected in Malawi's flood-hit Chikwawa district, a local official told Agence France-Presse. Cholera commonly occurs in areas without access to clean water. Malaria also is on the rise as stagnant waters attract mosquitoes, officials said.

Floods Leave Lasting Effects

The Red Cross is particularly concerned with the long-term effects of the floods. Flood-caused crop loss could devastate Malawi, a small, densely populated country of 10 million people, who rely almost entirely on agriculture. Prior to the floods, 53 percent of the population was without access to safe water and 97 percent lacked access to sanitation. The floods — which wiped out the crops of entire villages, contaminated wells and destroyed latrines — have made matters even worse, according to an American Red Cross report.

The situation is becoming desperate for many people. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, a group of 70 people, families who have fled their homes, are now living crammed into a church in Nkwasi, in Malawi's Chikwawa district. "These people have been reduced to sleeping on the floor, and respiratory problems are on the rise," said Paul Wizire Phire, with the Malawi Red Cross.

The Federation has appealed for some $1.5 million for 20,000 Malawi flood victims and $3 million for 30,000 people in Mozambique. The appeal will help meet basic needs including shelter, household items, drinking water, basic health care and sanitation facilities. Eventually, the Red Cross also hopes to help people rebuild their lives.

The American Red Cross, which made an initial emergency commitment of $25,000 to Malawi and $50,000 to Mozambique, and has provided flood victims with 80,000 water-maker sachets and 4,000 jerry cans. Another $125,000 donation will be used to purchase seeds and tools for those who lost their crops and farms to the floods in Malawi.

So far, the international community has disbursed some $11 million in aid in response to the February appeal made by Mozambique government for $36.5 million.

Although weather forecasters said last week that the worst of the flooding was over, heavy rains falling in countries neighboring Mozambique could still exacerbate the situation along the Zambezi River.

"We have to keep monitoring the situation because rains observed in neighboring states can at any time contribute to the increase of flows on our side of the border," Filipe Lucio, director of the Mozambique Institute of Meteorology, told Agence France-Presse.