Crops have been destroyed and villagers living on higher ground are building temporary shelters for people whose homes have been washed away.
Meteorologists have predicted no let-up, with more storms forecast for Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi.
Aid agencies are warning of food shortages and waterborne diseases.
The number of people affected by the floods is unclear but an estimated 50,000 people have been evacuated so far in Mozambique.
The World Food Programme (WFP) says it is still feeding 250,000 people there who lost their crops in last year's floods.
Most of those are affected again, and the WFP expects the numbers to rise even further.
Early days
From its head waters high in Zambia and Zimbabwe to the river mouth on Mozambique's Indian Ocean, the Zambezi river valley is a sodden mess.
In Mozambique, a few major towns like the provincial capital of Tete are under water but it is the tens of thousands of villagers in small, isolated settlements who are suffering the most.
Six people are known to have died - four drowned and two were killed by crocodiles.
The BBC's Peter Greste, who is in Caia where the main relief effort is being co-ordinated, flew over the area and described the roofs of countless huts dotting the water like lilies.
He said people displaced by the heaviest rains in a decade were wading through what used to be roads.
Working with soldiers and international relief agencies, Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management is using boats and helicopters to move those affected to temporary accommodation centres.
It is not clear when the situation will begin to improve; the rains are still falling in the catchment area and the water will take time to flow down.
The wet season is also in its early days but the Zambezi is rapidly approaching the 7.6m (25ft) level that it reached during disastrous floods in 2000, when half a million people fled their homes.
In Zambia, the government has appealed for $13m (£6.6m) in foreign aid to help deal with the effects of flooding, which officials say has displaced thousands of people and caused extensive damage to infrastructure.
In low-lying areas of Zimbabwe, flooding has destroyed homes, livestock and infrastructure, aid agencies report.
Heavy floods have also destroyed homes and crops, displacing thousands of people in southern and central Malawi.
The Malawian government is warning people to relocate from flood-prone areas, but many have been reluctant to leave their farms.
Saturday, 12 January 2008
Rampaging floods wreck destruction in Malawi
Blantyre, Malawi - Thousands of Malawians have been rendered homeless b y rampaging floods which have also destroyed crops, officials told PANA here Fri d ay.
In the southern Lower Shire District of Chikwawa, where over 2, 000 people hav e already been affected by the floods, there are fresh reports of more floods Fr i day.
District Commissioner Lackford Palani said following heavy rains that have bee n falling this week several hectares of farmlands have been washed away.
"We are still assessing the situation to find out how many people and how many hectares of crop fields have been affected," he said.
Heavy floods have also been reported in the southern district of Machinga and the central district of Ntcheu.
Machinga District Commissioner James Makonokaya said hundreds of people and se veral hectares of crop fields have been affected but assessment were still being made.
In Ntcheu, over 85 hectares of maize field have been washed away, according to district planning officer David Gondwe.
The floods have also displaced about 3, 000 people in four villages and washed away a railway bridge.
The situation is equally bad in the southern Lower Shire Valley district of Ns anje, on the border with Mozambique, where inhabitants of several villages are r e locating to higher grounds in the wake of heavy flooding.
District Commissioner Toby Solomoni said "We have lost several crops and lives tock but luckily no person has died."
According to James Chiusiwa of the Department of Disaster Preparedness, heavy floods have also been reported in the southern lakeshore district of Mangochi, t h e central districts of Dedza and Lilongwe and the northern lakeshore districts o f Nkhata Bay and Karonga where several people have been displaced and hundreds of crop fields destroyed.
Meanwhile, government is warning people in flood-prone districts to move uplan d because there are likely to be more flooding before the rainy season ends.
Despite several warnings, people are reluctant to move out of flood-prone area s because the soils are fertile, alluvial and therefore good for agriculture.
Traditionalists also believe they will be cursed if they abandon graves of the ir ancestors.
In the southern Lower Shire District of Chikwawa, where over 2, 000 people hav e already been affected by the floods, there are fresh reports of more floods Fr i day.
District Commissioner Lackford Palani said following heavy rains that have bee n falling this week several hectares of farmlands have been washed away.
"We are still assessing the situation to find out how many people and how many hectares of crop fields have been affected," he said.
Heavy floods have also been reported in the southern district of Machinga and the central district of Ntcheu.
Machinga District Commissioner James Makonokaya said hundreds of people and se veral hectares of crop fields have been affected but assessment were still being made.
In Ntcheu, over 85 hectares of maize field have been washed away, according to district planning officer David Gondwe.
The floods have also displaced about 3, 000 people in four villages and washed away a railway bridge.
The situation is equally bad in the southern Lower Shire Valley district of Ns anje, on the border with Mozambique, where inhabitants of several villages are r e locating to higher grounds in the wake of heavy flooding.
District Commissioner Toby Solomoni said "We have lost several crops and lives tock but luckily no person has died."
According to James Chiusiwa of the Department of Disaster Preparedness, heavy floods have also been reported in the southern lakeshore district of Mangochi, t h e central districts of Dedza and Lilongwe and the northern lakeshore districts o f Nkhata Bay and Karonga where several people have been displaced and hundreds of crop fields destroyed.
Meanwhile, government is warning people in flood-prone districts to move uplan d because there are likely to be more flooding before the rainy season ends.
Despite several warnings, people are reluctant to move out of flood-prone area s because the soils are fertile, alluvial and therefore good for agriculture.
Traditionalists also believe they will be cursed if they abandon graves of the ir ancestors.
Mines & Mineral In Malawi - Are Malawians Benefitting?
An overview of mineral deposits and extractive industries in Malawi - with particular emphasis on recent initiatives to exploit uranium deposits that were, until recently, deemed uneconomic, but have now attracted attention due to changing global factors.
Beautiful Malawi
Have you ever had hard times to decide where to go for holiday??.. This will help you to know! The answer is Lake Malawi. Nkhata Bay near to Mzuzu is probably the best option for it. It is at the most northerly point on the Lake. There is really good hotel called Mayoka Village where is lovely staff, good food and cheap prices.. Every night some special program, Malawian live music, dance.. Barbeque. That is wonderful place to spend vacation.
Fresh water, most beautiful tropical fish.. You can do so much there--> Village walk, kayaking, boat tripes, scuba diving, etc.
Malawi is also really good place to feel the real Africa.. Take minibus from the town and go to village.. See mudhuts, cornfields, tribes..
You can also go to National parks. Nyika national park (near to Mzuzu) is one of them..
Or go to safaris (see more from eyesonafrica.net). See ciraffes, hyenas, zepras, hippos, crocodiles..
Spend some time with local people, learn to dance as they (they really know how to do it), learn to play famous bean- game.
And Blantyre.. There is many hotels and you can choose the best! There is also really good restaurants where you can find eastern food (like burgers with good chicken breast) if malawian traditional nsima made from the corn is too much for you.
We can't forget Mulanje- mountain near to Blantyre which is 3 kilometers high! It's beautiful and if you look really closely, you can see some people that are actually living in the mountain.. :D That's scary because they are not in their mudhuts, but in the caves.
And lots of good fruits.. Fresh mangos, bananas, pineapples. SO TASTY! You just love all those cheap fruits and that is one the reasons you would like to go there back many times!
And you can also get beautiful handicraft from the market places! Bracelets, necklace, earrings, rings.. All made from the wood or seeds. Woodcarvings like elephant, ciraffe, lion.. All african stuff.. Paintings with beautiful colors, handmade books.. Whatever you can just imagine you can find there! :D
Lovely nations, friendly peoples.. Think how good tan you can get out there?? It is hot, but not too hot.. Atleast if you go there between September and March. :D
What else do you want?? Take a plane and GO!!
Zambezi floods expected to worsen
More storms are forecast in areas around the Zambezi valley, where tens of thousands of people have been displaced by flooding.
Across the region the heaviest rains for almost a decade are forcing people to flee their homes, even as they try to recover from last year's floods.
The authorities in Mozambique are preparing to help up to 200,000 people.
Many remain trapped on islands in the Zambezi or have retreated to shrinking patches of high ground near villages.
'Saturated'
Aid workers say the situation is getting worse, and meteorologists have forecast more storms for Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique.
"The soil is already saturated (with) water and the run-off is very high, an amount of water can cause massive devastation," said Mussa Mustafa, head of Mozambique's National Meteorology Institute.
Authorities say that over the weekend they will have to significantly increase the flow from the huge Cohara Bassa dam in western Mozambique to avoid the risk that it bursts.
That could create further problems for those displaced by the floodwaters, the BBC's Peter Greste reports from Caia in Mozambique.
It is only the beginning of the rainy season but the Zambezi is already well over six metres (20ft) deep - rapidly approaching the 7.6 metre (25ft) level that it reached during disastrous floods in 2000, he says.
In 2000, half a million people were forced to flee.
Disease risk
Across northern Zimbabwe, southern Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, relentless rain has waterlogged fields, destroyed fields and washed out roads and villages.
Damage to crops and roads has raised fears of food shortages, and aid agencies have also warned of increased risk of waterborne diseases and diseases caused by poor sanitation.
In Mozambique, six people are known to have died - four drowned and two were killed by crocodiles.
Working with soldiers and international relief agencies, Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management has used boats and helicopters to move tens of thousands of people to temporary accommodation centres away from the flooding.
A further 14,000 people will be evacuated from the northern bank of the Zambezi on Saturday as water levels keep rising, the head of the institute told Reuters.
Villagers have described climbing trees and running to higher ground to escape the floodwaters.
Some 27,000 people face food shortages in the affected areas, according to Radio Mozambique.
Rains have swamped city of Tete in the north of the country forcing some factories and schools to shut down, Reuters reported.
In Zambia, the government has appealed for $13m (£6.6m) in foreign aid to help deal with the effects of flooding, which officials say has displaced thousands of people and caused extensive damage to infrastructure.
In low-lying areas of Zimbabwe, flooding has destroyed homes, livestock and infrastructure, aid agencies report.
Heavy floods have also destroyed homes and crops, displacing thousands of people in southern and central Malawi.
The Malawian government is warning people to relocate from flood-prone areas, but many have been reluctant to leave their farms.
Across the region the heaviest rains for almost a decade are forcing people to flee their homes, even as they try to recover from last year's floods.
The authorities in Mozambique are preparing to help up to 200,000 people.
Many remain trapped on islands in the Zambezi or have retreated to shrinking patches of high ground near villages.
'Saturated'
Aid workers say the situation is getting worse, and meteorologists have forecast more storms for Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique.
"The soil is already saturated (with) water and the run-off is very high, an amount of water can cause massive devastation," said Mussa Mustafa, head of Mozambique's National Meteorology Institute.
Authorities say that over the weekend they will have to significantly increase the flow from the huge Cohara Bassa dam in western Mozambique to avoid the risk that it bursts.
That could create further problems for those displaced by the floodwaters, the BBC's Peter Greste reports from Caia in Mozambique.
It is only the beginning of the rainy season but the Zambezi is already well over six metres (20ft) deep - rapidly approaching the 7.6 metre (25ft) level that it reached during disastrous floods in 2000, he says.
In 2000, half a million people were forced to flee.
Disease risk
Across northern Zimbabwe, southern Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, relentless rain has waterlogged fields, destroyed fields and washed out roads and villages.
Damage to crops and roads has raised fears of food shortages, and aid agencies have also warned of increased risk of waterborne diseases and diseases caused by poor sanitation.
In Mozambique, six people are known to have died - four drowned and two were killed by crocodiles.
Working with soldiers and international relief agencies, Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management has used boats and helicopters to move tens of thousands of people to temporary accommodation centres away from the flooding.
A further 14,000 people will be evacuated from the northern bank of the Zambezi on Saturday as water levels keep rising, the head of the institute told Reuters.
Villagers have described climbing trees and running to higher ground to escape the floodwaters.
Some 27,000 people face food shortages in the affected areas, according to Radio Mozambique.
Rains have swamped city of Tete in the north of the country forcing some factories and schools to shut down, Reuters reported.
In Zambia, the government has appealed for $13m (£6.6m) in foreign aid to help deal with the effects of flooding, which officials say has displaced thousands of people and caused extensive damage to infrastructure.
In low-lying areas of Zimbabwe, flooding has destroyed homes, livestock and infrastructure, aid agencies report.
Heavy floods have also destroyed homes and crops, displacing thousands of people in southern and central Malawi.
The Malawian government is warning people to relocate from flood-prone areas, but many have been reluctant to leave their farms.
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