Malawi: Floods Render 60,000 People Homeless

Blantyre - Floods have displaced at least 60,000 people from the Lower Shire Valley in Malawi's southern boarder district of Nsanje following heavy rains in most parts of the country.
The Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness, Relief and Rehabilitation, Lucius Chikuni, told PANA on Thursday that whole families had to take refuge in small patches of high ground or in schools and churches.

"The situation is becoming desperate since all roads to the area have been destroyed and relief efforts are becoming impossible," he said.

Chikuni said, however, that no reports of deaths had been received because the people were warned of the impending floods.

But he said that most people in the area had lost all their properties.

Chikuni said since a huge area of land in the district was under water, it was difficult for his department to supply the people with relief items.

The commissioner and his team flew to the area in an army helicopter Wednesday and Thursday but could only have an aerial view as there was nowhere to land.

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