1. science
2. weather
3. meteorological disaster
4. flood

Malawi: Floods
DoDMA Situation Report No. 02
(as of 18 Jan 2015)
This report is produced by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) of Malawi. It covers the period from 16 to 18 January
2015. The next report will be issued on or around 19 January 2015. (NB. This version contains slight edits to an earlier version released. No
figures have changed.
Highlights
•
•
•
•
•
The number of displaced is still being considered
22,000 households (121,000 people). However, this
number is expected to rise as more information is
received and analyzed.
The number of people affected through damage to
crops is estimated at 638,000 people (116,000
households).
54 people have been killed by recent flooding, with
153 people remain missing in Nsanje District.
An additional 100 people were evacuated to camps
in Nsanje yesterday.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing in
Nsanje and Chikwawa, and relief operations
continued as water levels in some areas eased.
Figure 1: Displaced people at a school in Nsanje
Credit: Department of Disaster Management Affairs
121, 000
54
153
638,000
People displaced
People killed
People missing
People Affected
Situation Overview
An estimated 22,000 households (121,000 people) have now
been displaced by floods, with the most affected districts being
Nsanje, Chikwawa and Phalombe. Reports of a large number of
displaced people in Phalombe District are being investigated.153
people are still missing in Nsanje. Search efforts continue for
these people.
The Department of Surveys estimates that 63, 531 hectares of
land have been submersed by flood waters as of January 13,
2015.
A growing concern is disease outbreaks, given the poor sanitary
and drainage conditions at relocation sites.
An estimated 200,000 students are not able to attend school due
to their schools being flooded or occupied by those who require
temporary shelter.
Figure 2: Displaced households at a camp at Nchalo in Chikwawa
Credit: Department of Disaster Management Affairs
Department of Disaster Management Affairs
www.humanitarianresponse.info/operations/malawi
Flood affected houses in Nsanje district
MalawiFloods Situation Report No. 02|2
The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has indicated that a moderate tropical storm that
was in the Mozambique Channel has crossed the Madagascar coastline thereby reducing moisture inflow into
Southern Malawi. Therefore, there were less rains over Southern Malawi over the weekend which enabled ongoing
response operations. The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and Congo Air Masses are active over Malawi.
Therefore, heavy rains coupled with strong winds are expected in the next two days and the risk of flooding is still
high.
Humanitarian Response
Search and rescue operations are ongoing in Nsanje
and Chikwawa. An additional 100 people were
evacuated to camps in Nsanje from yesterday. More
households are arriving at the camps that have been
established to accommodate people that have been
evacuated from the affected areas in Chikwawa and
Nsanje as water in some parts is subsiding. Additional
helicopters being arranged with the Republic of South
Africa.
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs and
other organizations are continuing to distribute food and
non-food items to the affected. More distributions of
relief items are being made now as some of the areas
are becoming accessible. Airlifting of relief items to
Mlolo area in Nsanje is ongoing.This is being enabled
by favourable weather in the lower Shire Valley.
Source: Department of Disaster Management Affairs.
Displaced people at Nchalo in Chikwawa
All (local) clusters have now met and most clusters have submitted their cluster response plans. A draft of the
consolidated Preliminary Response Plan is being finalized.
A UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team have arrived in the country and are currently in the field
supporting an inter-agency assessment in Phalombe district.
Following the Declaration of a State of Disaster by the State President on 13 January, 2015, a number of
organizations are coming forward to donate or pledge assistance to the affected population.
The consolidation of a comprehensive response plan is underway. The plan will highlight the needs of the different
sectors and resource requirements. A number of Development Partners have pledged support once the response
plan has been finalized.
A team from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has arrived in the
country to assist in the response coordination efforts. A United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination
(UNDAC) has arrived in the country and is currently in the field supporting and inter-agency assessment in
Phalombe. The United Nations team also organized a fly-over yesterday 17 January, 2015 in flood-affected areas
(Mangochi, Phalombe, Chikwawa, Nsanje, Machinga, Zomba and Mulanje) to view the damage caused by the
floods.
Shelter and Camp Management
Needs:
•
•
According to information available on 15 January 2015 over 100,000 people are
currently displaced and in need of shelter.
In total 3,567 tents are needed for shelter and the provision of services to those
affected and displaced, as is plastic sheeting for repairing and reinforcing damaged
houses.
Department of Disaster Management Affairs
www.humanitarianresponse.info/operations/malawi
3,567
Tents required in
worst affected
districts
MalawiFloods Situation Report No. 02|3
Response:
•
•
Some tents have been received, which are being distributed to sites, including by Malawi Defense Force.
Plastic sheeting is currently being distributed by partners.
Education
Needs:
•
•
•
•
•
•
200,000
415 schools have been either submerged by floodwaters or are being used as
Learners displaced
temporary displacement sites, affecting 200,000 learners.
from their schools
Millions of dollars in education supplies have been destroyed.
There is a need for 800 tents to house temporary classrooms.
School-in-a-box kits are needed to resume learning as soon as possible in temporary classrooms.
School feeding and kitchen kits are needed to support resumption of education activities.
Psycho-social support is needed, including play and recreation facilities.
Food Security and Agriculture
Needs:
•
•
•
•
It is estimated that 50,000 households are in need of food assistance in the 15
affected districts.
It is estimated that 116,000 farmers have been affected by the flooding of over
32,000 hectares of agricultural land.
Food assistance will likely be required up to April, and high-energy biscuits are an
immediate requirement.
The possibility exists for replanting immediately after floods subside.
50,000
Households requiring
food assistance
116,000
Farmers affected by
floods
Response:
•
Food distribution is ongoing, initially using prepositioned stocks earmarked for the response to food insecurity
situation.
Gaps & Constraints:
•
•
•
Access to distribution areas is likely to be made difficult by the floods.
Boat and air operations to deliver urgent supplies to difficult-to-access areas are currently being planned.
Replanting immediately after flood waters reside may prove difficult due to risk of further flooding, and much of
the area to be re-planted remains submerged.
Health
Needs:
•
•
•
•
•
•
US$ 3.6 m
Prevention and control of disease outbreaks such as cholera, dysentery, malaria,
Funding needs of
malnutrition.
health requirements
Provision of treatment of acute and chronic diseases and injuries.
Distribution of supplies and commodities such as insecticide treated nets (ITNs),
chlorine-based products for water treatment, emergency contraceptives, condoms, and nutrition and
therapeutic supplements.
Establishment of temporary consultation, treatment and maternity delivery shelters within the campsites.
Strengthen early detection and reporting of disease outbreaks.
Sustain immunization and growth monitoring of children under age 5.
Department of Disaster Management Affairs
www.humanitarianresponse.info/operations/malawi
MalawiFloods Situation Report No. 02|4
Nutrition
Needs:
•
•
•
•
Providing supplements for the nutrition of children at risk of malnutrition.
Provision of nutritional and therapeutic supplements.
Community mobilization around nutrition.
Feeding of young children, expectant and lactating mothers, the elderly, people with
disabilities, orphans and the chronically ill.
US$ 2.6m
Estimated requirement
to meet nutritional
needs of flood-affected
population
Protection
Needs:
•
•
•
•
Psychosocial support including counselling.
Security and protection of displaced people including through the provision of lighting and security.
Referral and linkages to families and other services such as reproductive health, counseling and rehabilitation.
Provision of assistive devices to persons with disabilities.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
The supply of safe water has been disrupted in all the affected districts. For example, some boreholes, shallow
wells and tap points have been flooded and contaminated. In some districts, most of the
piped water supply systems have been washed away.
Most of the sites where the affected population has been relocated have no access to
safe water supply and sanitation facilities.
Surface water monitoring stations have been washed away / submerged;
US$ 1.1m
Estimated requirement
to meet WASH
requirements
Most of the sanitation facilities such as pit latrines have been damaged.
Most of the waste disposal sites have been affected and waste has spilled to water supply facilities and
surrounding environment;
Personal and environmental hygiene in the temporary settlements has been compromised.
Irrigation infrastructure has been washed away and submerged.
Needs:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Conduct rapid assessment for water, irrigation, sanitation and hygiene on affected population and determine
the duration of the impact. (15 districts)
Mobilize and operate plants (mobile water treatment plant and water tank truck) to affected areas.
Provide a minimum of 15 litres of safe water per person per day (Sphere Standards 2011) to the affected
populations.
Construct temporary latrines (one latrine for every 20 persons) and hand washing facilities to provide adequate
sanitation for displaced people and for those remaining in households in the disaster areas considering
accessibility for the elderly and physically challenged in a camp situation.
Promote the construction of temporary latrines at household level
Conduct hygiene campaigns to promote good hygiene practices among the affected populations (15 districts).
Provide basic water, sanitation and hygiene supplies and equipment, which include chlorine/water purification
tablets, plastic sheeting, and soap water testing kits( to the estimated 14,000 households/ 70,000 people)
Provide at least 20 litre water storage buckets and cups for each affected household
Provide spare part kits for immediate repair of water installations (piped water supply systems, hand pumps
and springs) at institutional and community level.
Undertake sanitary surveys of contaminated drinking water sources
Ensure adequate water and sanitation facilities are available in places designated for learning and health
services for affected population
Department of Disaster Management Affairs
www.humanitarianresponse.info/operations/malawi
MalawiFloods Situation Report No. 02|5
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ensure adequate water facilities provision in camps approximately 50 boreholes
Carry out supervision, monitoring and evaluation of response activities
Provide feedback to stakeholders on response activities including response evaluation
Determine flood magnitude on affected catchments
Assess damage to existing irrigation infrastructure
Repair damaged irrigation infrastructure
Response:
•
Chlorine stocks earmarked as a contingency for Ebola has been distributed to affected communities. This will
need to be urgently replenished.
Logistics and Transport
Needs:
•
•
•
•
To ensure availability and efficient operation of transport vehicles (e.g. Motorbikes,
trucks, helicopters and boats)
To ensure secure access routes are available for delivery of relief items (e.g. Road
and bridge repair)
To secure entry ports and international routes for unhindered transportation of
international assistance.
Transportation and warehousing of relief items, including fuel provision
US$0.5m
Immediate
requirements for
Logistics and
Transport
Gaps & Constraints:
•
The flooding has damaged a significant amount of roads and bridges.
Source: Department of Disaster Management Affairs.
Displaced people at Nchalo in Chikwawa
General Coordination
DoDMA is leading the response, with support from partners. The (local) cluster system has been activated, and the
Vice President has requested all clusters to submit response plans; some clusters have already done so.
Government will be establishing Emergency Operations Centres in Blantyre, Lilongwe (which will be the National
Level Coordination Centre) and Mzuzu. The National Emergency Operations Centre in Lilongwe is now operational
and welcomes seconded officers from the various (local) clusters to be deployed there. These structures are not
Department of Disaster Management Affairs
www.humanitarianresponse.info/operations/malawi
MalawiFloods Situation Report No. 02|6
intended to bypass already existing local structures, with District Commissioners continuing to be responsible at the
district level. Government is also ramping up preparedness efforts in the North of the country where more rains are
expected. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has deployed staff to Malawi to
support the response.
Background on the crisis
Heavy rains over the last few weeks have led to severe flooding across Malawi. The floods have also caused extensive damage to crops,
livestock and infrastructure. The Southern districts of Nsanje, Chikwawa, Phalombe and Zomba are the most affected. A growing concern is
disease prevention, given the poor sanitary and drainage conditions at relocation sites.
In response, the President of the Republic of Malawi declared a State of Disaster in the 15 affected districts (out of a total of 28 districts) on
13 January 2015. With the numbers of people affected and displaced continuing to rise, the President has appealed to the international
community for support, specifically in the provision of tents, food and non-food items; and in the conducting of search and rescue operations.
Some areas are inaccessible, impeding the conducting of assessments.
While a decrease in rainfall is forecast for Southern Malawi over the next week, more rains are predicted for the North of the country. Malawi
has been receiving significant rains since December 2014, and this trend is expected to continue as the country is forecast to receive normal
to above-normal rainfall between January and March 2015.
For further information, please contact:
MR. FYAWUPI MWAFONGO Department of Disaster Management Affairs
MR SAMUEL GAMA
Department of Disaster Management Affairs
MS. NATASHA MBENGO
Department of Disaster Management Affairs
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Department of Disaster Management Affairs
www.humanitarianresponse.info/operations/malawi
+265 991005681
+265 999673535
+265 999106113
MALAWI
Flooding Update
18 January 2015
Many of the 121,000 people displaced by the floods have sought shelter at
camps established or schools, churches and evacuation centres. Disease
outbreak is a concern due to the potential for poor sanitary and drainage
conditions at relocation sites. Some affected areas remain inaccessible and
rescue operations continue.
Chitipa
Karonga
North R
uk
uru
Following the Declaration of a State of Disaster by the State President on 13
January 2015, a number of organizations are coming forward to donate or
UNITED
OF TANZANIA
pledge assistance
to theREPUBLIC
affected population.
hu
hu
Ru
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) is leading the
response, with support from partners. DoDMA and other organizations are
continuing to distribute food and non-food items to the affected areas. Tents
and plastic sheeting are urgently needed for shelter. A UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team is currently supporting an inter-agency field
assessment in Phalombe district. Local clusters have met and a draft
consolidated Preliminary Response Plan is currently in the process of being
finalized.
Rumphi
NORTHERN REGION
Mzuzu City
Nkhata Bay
ZAMBIA
Mzimba
Lake Malawi
Likoma
Nkhotakota
CENTRAL REGION
Mchinji
MOZAMBIQUE
a
Bu
Kasungu
Kamuzu International
Lilongwe
Ntchisi
Dowa
p
Lilongwe City
Lilongwe
Salima
Lin
thip
e
Dedza
Mangochi
Lake Malombe
Ntcheu
Machinga
Balaka
SOUTHERN REGION
ire
Zomba City
Blantyre
Mwanza
Lake Chilwa
Zomba
Sh
Neno
p
Chiradzulu
Blantyre City
Phalombe
Legend
Capital
Mulanje
638,000 People Affected
Chikwawa
Thyolo
Main Airports
Main Rivers
121,000 Displaced
54
p
Dams and Lakes
Region Boundaries
Deaths
Nsanje
153 Missing
ZIMBABWE
District Boundaries
15 Districts declared disaster zones
Worst Affected Districts
200,000 School Learners Displaced
International Boundaries
km
10
The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the UN
Chire
Creation date: 18 Jan 2015 Map No: 420v01 Sources: Malawi DoDMA, Geonode, HYCOS, Humanitarian Partners Feedback: [email protected]
www.reliefweb.int http://rosa.humanitarianresponse.info
www.unocha.org/rosa