Malawi: Floods - Jan 2026

Persistent heavy rains triggered widespread flooding across several districts, particularly lakeshore areas such as Nkhotakota, which has been the most severely affected. Nkhotakota District experienced two waves of devastating floods, first in December 2025 with rainfall exceeding 285 mm in a single day and again on 20 January 2026 with continued flood warnings that materialised into impacts. The second wave compounded the destruction, striking communities that had not yet recovered from the earlier disaster. In total, 10,912 households (49,104 people) were affected in Nkhotakota District alone. Floods displaced 2,132 households (10,912 people) into 14 camps where thousands are still hosted, caused 12 deaths, 39 injuries, and 2 missing persons, with significant damage to homes, infrastructure, schools, health facilities, crops, and livelihoods, creating urgent humanitarian needs. (IFRC, 13 Feb 2026)