BLANTYRE – Malawi has declared a national disaster in areas affected by Cyclone Ana this week, killing at least 19 people in the country and also killing dozens in Madagascar, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera on Wednesday called for emergency aid for around 50,000 families left homeless by severe flooding from the storm.
The situation is expected to worsen as more rain is expected on Thursday.
In a statement, President Chakwera called for humanitarian assistance from United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, the international donor community, the local private sector and individual supporters.
The statement follows a preliminary assessment by the Department of Disaster Management on Wednesday which showed that more than half of the country’s 28 districts have been affected.
The hardest hit districts are Chikwawa, Nsanje, Mulanje and Phalombe, where roads have been cut and bridges washed away.
Chipiliro Khamula is the spokesperson for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs.
“For Chikwawa, the M1 road was cut off at Thabwa and Nchalo and a number of TAs [traditional authorities] were badly affected,” he said.
“For example Ngowe, Mlirima, Lundu, Kasisi and Maseya. Concerning Nsanje, it is feared that a number of households will be trapped by the floods.
The government has deployed soldiers and police and tasked the Malawi Red Cross to carry out search and rescue operations.
The government says that while some humanitarian partners have already started delivering aid, more aid is needed to respond to the growing number of people affected.
Thousands of displaced people say they lack food, clothing and shelter.
