Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent floods in Malawi and the impact on the population both immediately and in relation to the damage to public services and the economy of Malawi.

DFID has rapidly responded to the current floods in Malawi. Our response has been based on priorities identified through detailed assessments carried out by the United Nations and the Government of Malawi, validated by DFID officials on the ground. The floods are having a devastating impact on families, homes and livelihoods in the most affected areas. Recent assessments conducted by the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) now suggest that 104 people have died and 172 people are still missing. The number of people displaced to temporary shelters is now estimated at 230,000. DFID has responded to assist those in immediate need, particularly those now sheltering in Government and UN-coordinated displacement camps.

According to figures from the Government of Malawi, approximately 415 schools have been affected by the floods, either by being damaged or due to their use as shelter by displaced communities. District Government Officials are working hard to coordinate with international support to help affected students resume their learning as soon as possible. Around 2% of Malawi’s arable land has been flooded and DFID is working with its partners in Malawi to ensure that affected households are supported with seeds and tools, to allow them to return to their land as the water subsides and to replant their crops.

The latest updates from the Malawi Department of Disaster Management Affairs and United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator can be found at: http://www.humanitarianresponse.info/operations/malawi