OCHA Situation Report No. 4
Malawi - Floods
20 March 2001


Situation

1.  Heavy rains continued throughout the country, worsening the flooding
and water logging in 13 affected districts of the total 27 districts of
the country. Some of the non-affected areas are at risk of being flooded
due to the continuing rainfall. The latest figure stands at 334,985
affected people (66,997 households) and 14 deaths. The Ministry of Health
and Population, with the assistance of UNICEF and WHO, has estimated that
52% of the affected persons are women and 20% of the affected are children
under five years of age.

2.  The worst affected is the Southern Region, especially Nsanje and
Chikwawa districts where 125,000 and 62,500 persons have been affected
respectively.  Parts of these districts are not yet accessible due to poor
conditions of roads and bridges, hindering delivery of relief items.  
While the Department of Disaster Preparedness, Rehabilitation and Relief
(DDPRR)  distributed maize, beans and salts as well as blankets in Nsanje,
Mangochi, Zomba and Chikwawa, those items were distributed only to people
within the reach of public authorities, namely people accommodated in
public buildings, schools and churches.

3.  In the Central Region, heavy rainfall affected more farms, especially
in Salima district. The situation in Nkhotakota district, the worst
affected in the Central Region, remains critical.


Requirements

4.  The Government, UNICEF and WHO updated the requirements in the health
sector which amount to USD 187,300. The requirements are in addition to
the ones in the Government's appeal for USD 6.7 million (OCHA Situation
Report no.3) This includes, SP tablets, paracetamol, ORS sachets,
doxycyline, metronidazole, chlorinated lines, mosquito nets, and plastic
sheets for pit latrines (full details available with OCHA).


National and International Assistance

5.  DDPRR is the focal point in coordinating relief assistance within the
Government.  DDPRR requested that all pledges be communicated to the
office in order to avoid duplication. For daily coordination, the
following five sectoral task forces were formed:

Health, Water and Sanitation (including the Ministries of Health and Water
Development, UNICEF, WHO, the Red Cross, MSF (Luxembourg and France), and
Oxfam), Food (including the Ministry of Agriculture, FAO, WFP, UNDP, the
Red Cross, CARE and World Vision) Shelter and Non-Food Items (including
the Ministry of Housing, the Red Cross, CARE, and World Vision, and MSF)
Infrastructure and weather (the Ministry of Transport and Public Works,
National Road Authority, the Malawi Army and the Department of
Meteorology) Security (including police, army, immigration officials, and
DDPRR). 6.  DDPRR had provided food assistance to the affected, until the
depletion of the stocks on 6 March.


International assistance

7.  Together with DDPRR, UNDP is coordinating donor and UN's efforts in
response to the emergency.  UNDP is utilising USD 100,000 for logistics.  
UNDP, UNICEF and WHO have deployed assessment teams in the field.  The
Government and UNDP finalised arrangements for procurement of blankets,
iodised salt and plastic sheets (with funding from the Government of
Norway and OCHA).

8.  WFP commenced food distribution for 58,900 most affected persons in
six districts, aiming at providing 690 tonnes. WFP Logistics Unit has
worked out a logistics plan in collaboration with district officials and
other partners to ensure efficient delivery of assistance. The possibility
of using small canoes and army helicopters for areas that cannot be
reached by road or rail is under consideration.

9.  WFP and FAO fielded assessment officers to lead a joint assessment
mission to determine the FAO's agricultural inputs for its aid package and
WFP's food aid.

10.  IFRC launched its preliminary appeal for CHF 2,741,910 on 28
February.  IFRC and the Malawi Red Cross (MRCS) immediately started
distributing relief items such as blankets, plastic sheeting, cooking
pots, jerry cans and chlorine tablets. IFRC fielded a five-member Field
Assessment and Coordination (FACT)  Team.  IFRC recorded contributions
from the British Red Cross and the American Red Cross. MRCS has been
sub-contracted for the distribution of WFP food aid.

11.  OCHA is prepared to serve as channel for cash contributions to be
used for immediate relief assistance, in co-ordination/consultation with
relevant organisations in the United Nations system. Funds should be
transferred to OCHA account no.  CO-590.160.0, Swift code: UBSWCHZ12A at
the UBS AG, P.O.  Box 2770, CH-1211 Geneva 2, with reference:  "OCHA -
Malawi- floods 2001". OCHA provides donors with written confirmation and
pertinent details concerning the utilisation of the funds contributed.

12.  Information on contributions to this disaster may be found by
clicking on Financial Tracking at the top of the page for this disaster on
the OCHA Internet Website ( http://www.reliefweb.int). Donors are
requested to verify this table and inform OCHA Geneva of
corrections/additions/values.  Donors are encouraged to notify OCHA Geneva
of their contributions to this disaster using the OCHA Standardized
Contributions Recording Format, available electronically in the above
mentioned Financial Tracking Website.

13.  This Situation Report and further information on ongoing emergencies
are also available on the OCHA Internet Website at:
http://www.reliefweb.int.



Telephone: +41-22-91712 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers (OCHA Disaster Response Branch):
Mr. K. Wiersing /Ms. Y. Sawada/Mr. M. Bonnel
direct Tel. +41 22 917 2270/1768/1457

Press contact:  Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-91726 53


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