Malawi floods immediate needs: UNICEF responds to the needs of ...

Malawi floods immediate needs: UNICEF responds to the needs of affected children and women in the areas of health and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, and HIV/AIDS


1. CRITICAL ISSUES FOR CHILDREN

Over one million people are in risk of food insecurity and floods up until the next harvest in April 2008 and consequently women and children under five will become more exposed to malnutrition and infections as well as to abuse and exploitation. Underlying a situation of food shortage are two mutually reinforcing causes of insecurity, namely a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and chronic poverty, which need to be addressed in tandem with food aid. Approximately 200,000 women and children under five will be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2008.

Recent weather forecasts by the Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Global Forecasting Centre for Southern Africa all indicate an enhanced likelihood of flooding in Malawi up until March 2008. The first cases of flooding in the country for this rainy season were reported in mid-November 2007 with an estimated 1,310 affected households in Chikwawa, Nsanje, Phalombe, Machinga, Mwanza, Mangochi and Mzimba districts. In the first week of January 2008, three district areas reported flooding. These include Mzimba district in the northern region, Dedza district in the central region and Chiradzulu district in the southern region. Preliminary reports from these districts indicate that the floods have affected crop fields and 49 houses have collapsed due to heavy rainfalls and storms. District officials are currently conducting assessment on the actual damages and details will be available in the coming days and the UN stands ready to assist.

Floods have already displaced many in neighboring Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia and the main commercial corridor from central Mozambique to landlocked Malawi has been cut and is causing delays in the transportation of food and fuel destined to Malawi, resulting in shortage of petrol.

Cholera remains a major threat in rural and peri-urban areas in Malawi with recurrent outbreaks during the rainy season from November to April and is particularly a major risk factor in flood situations because of the possible and immediate break down of water and sanitation facilities. Food shortages and malnutrition have a direct effect on individual susceptibility to diseases and thus the level of a possible epidemic will be directly related to people’s access to food and safe water. So far 434 cholera cases and 5 deaths have been reported in Mulanje, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Nsanje and Nkhotakota districts since the current outbreak that started on the 5th of November 2007.

The last cholera season 2006/2007 ended on the week of June 17, with a total of 309 cases, 6 deaths in 12 districts countrywide and within a period of eleven months (August 2006 to June 2007). This season seems to be of major concern as more cases have already been reported within a period of two months only.

The National Food and Nutrition Surveillance system have registered deterioration in the food security and nutrition situation the last months in areas identified vulnerable by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC). Results of an MVAC survey conducted in November 2007 indicate that more than 500,000 people will not be able to meet their food requirements until the next harvest in April 2008.

The MVAC also showed a significant raise of all nutrition indicators in the three identified livelihood zones. The Southern region continues to have the worst nutrition situation with a raise of the Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rate for children under 5 from 2.7% in June 2007 to 6.1% in November 2007.