Malawi floods leave 34 dead, nearly 200 injured

ISTANBUL

At least 34 people have died, and nearly 200 others have been injured after heavy rains and flooding swept across Malawi last week, displacing thousands, the country’s disaster management agency said on Thursday.

Flooding across 23 administrative areas has affected more than 69,000 households, or roughly 310,000 people, with over 6,000 households taking refuge in 84 emergency shelters, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) said in a statement.

The southern district of Chikwawa is the hardest-hit, as nearly 25,000 households have been affected, more than 1,800 displaced into 24 emergency shelters, and nine people killed.

The DoDMA said the toll could rise as local authorities continue assessing areas that remain largely inaccessible.

The department is working with humanitarian partners to deliver relief to affected areas and has allocated a $10 million (17 billion Malawian Kwacha) to address urgent needs, restore basic services, prevent secondary impacts, and begin early recovery, the statement said.