Malawi floods: Heavy rains cause destruction across the country

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Heavy rain across Malawi has caused severe floods which have tragically claimed the lives of more than 100 people, and left thousands more homeless.

The water has demolished homes and household items, as well as washed away crops and livestock. Roads and bridges have been destroyed, power lines are down and people's access to clean, safe water has been affected.

Evacuation centres have been set up at several primary schools, but even these relatively safe places have limited security, inadequate sanitary facilities and poor access to food and water.

World Vision has on-going programmes in many of the flood-hit areas and is working to support children and their families who have been impacted.

So far we have distributed maize, beans and tarpaulins to around 2,000 households and will soon be providing mosquito nets, insect repellant, blankets and water purification tablets, as well as setting up safe spaces for children to spend time, while they're away from home and school.