Torrential rains trigger widespread destruction across 23 areas, leaving families homeless and emergency teams racing to deliver aid amid rising fears the toll could climb higher.
Heavy rains and devastating floods have swept through southern Malawi, claiming at least 34 lives and injuring nearly 200 others, authorities reported Thursday.
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) said the downpours, which battered the country last week, displaced thousands and damaged homes, roads and farmland across multiple districts.
The southern district of Chikwawa emerged as the worst-affected area, with nearly 25,000 households impacted and more than 1,800 people displaced into 24 emergency shelters. Nine deaths were recorded there alone.
Local officials described scenes of submerged villages and families wading through floodwaters carrying what little they could salvage. Many roads, including key routes in the region, remained impassable, slowing rescue and assessment efforts.
Flooding struck 23 administrative districts, affecting more than 69,000 households β roughly 310,000 people. Over 6,000 households sought refuge in 84 emergency shelters, DoDMA said in its statement.
The agency warned that the death toll could still rise as teams work to reach remote and inaccessible zones for full assessments.
Residents in low-lying areas along river basins faced the heaviest damage, with crops destroyed and livestock lost at a critical time for many farming communities.
DoDMA is coordinating with humanitarian organizations to deliver urgent assistance, including food, clean water and medical supplies. The government has allocated $10 million (about 17 billion Malawian kwacha) to cover immediate needs, restore basic services, prevent disease outbreaks and support early recovery.
βEvery life lost is a tragedy,β a DoDMA official noted, emphasizing the need for continued support from partners.
Malawi, prone to seasonal flooding, has seen increased climate-related disasters in recent years. Experts link heavier rains partly to changing weather patterns.
Communities are urged to heed weather warnings and avoid flood-prone zones.
As assessments continue, families in affected areas like Chikwawa hope for swift recovery while mourning loved ones swept away by the floods.
