LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-UTM president Dalitso Kabambe has called for collective action by communities and government to put in place proper settlements and drainage systems to reduce flooding in prone areas.
Speaking on Wednesday, January 7, 2026 in Dwangwa, Nkhotakota, while cheering flood victims, Kabambe said addressing flooding requires a shared understanding of climate change and coordinated national efforts.
“We have donated various items worth about K12 million, but the scale of the problem shows that more support is needed from other well-wishers across the country,” he said.
Traditional Authority (T.A) Kanyenda village head Simeon Kanyenda, who is also a flood victim, thanked Kabambe and the UTM Party for the support.
Kabambe donated 200 bags of 10-kilogramme flour, sacks and MK2 million cash to be shared among affected households.
The Council of Ministers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
The Council of Ministers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) extended its condolence to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Malawi on the deaths and damage to people’s homes and livelihoods following the recent heavy rains and floods.
The message was delivered during the opening of the SADC Council of Ministers Meeting in Windhoek, Namibia on 15th March 2019. The Meeting which is being held under the theme, Promoting Infrastructure Development and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development, runs from 15 – 16th March, 2019
In her remarks, Hon. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and Chair of the SADC Council of Ministers said SADC is paying attention to the climatic situations in the region and is aware that some parts of the region are experiencing floods while other parts have drought. “I wish to take this opportunity to extend condolences to the people of Malawi and Mozambique where lives were lost due to floods and the effects of the cyclone, respectively” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
In her speech, Her Excellency Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax, SADC Executive Secretary, concurred with the Chairperson’s sentiments. She indicated that floods are becoming frequent in the region. “It is with great sadness that we learnt that the floods in Southern Malawi have killed at least 45 people to date, affected 460,600 people, and displaced 31,700, resulting in the declaration of a state of emergency by His Excellency, Professor Peter Mutharika, on 8 March 2019. We express our condolences and stand in solidarity with the Governments of Malawi and Mozambique and the families of the departed”, Tax explained.
Council has since encouraged Member States to continue promoting innovative farming practices, and adopt technologies that will sustain yields during erratic rains, while also helping farmers to cope with the impacts of droughts.
Unpredictable weather patterns and adverse climatic conditions continue to stifle regional efforts to ensure sustainable food self-sufficiency. Predictions indicate that the SADC region will receive normal to below normal rainfall between October 2018 and March 2019. This is likely to have a negative impact on the 2019 crop yield, resulting in food shortages for many households, particularly as a majority of African citizens depend on rain-fed agriculture. According to Her Excellency Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax, SADC Executive Secretary, SADC will continue to monitor the region’s food and nutrition security through the regional and national early warning systems and vulnerability assessments.
Malawi is one of the countries that has been hit severely by cyclone Idai. South Africa assisted Malawi with rescue teams and operational equipment while the United Nations mobilized relief assistance for the affected people. Many countries, organizations and individuals wished Malawi well on this occurrence.
MDF helicopter airlifted four people to safety in Lilongwe when the city was hit by floods
Lilongwe-(MaraviPost)-At least four people escaped death by drowning after being rescued by a chopper belonging to Malawi Defence Forces in the devastating floods that hit Malawi’s capital city on Thursday and Friday.
Lingadzi Police Station Spokesperson Foster Benjamin told The Maravi Post that the four were on Friday rescued near Mtandile and Area 49 after Lingadzi River had burst its banks.
Benjamin said the two of the survivors were schoolchildren aged 13 and 12. The children, identified as Amidu Jaffalie, 13 and his brother Isaac, 12, were on their way to school at Shire when they came across the flooding river.
The police publicist said the four were terrified, after seeing that the bridge was disintegrating and falling down, the boys decided to retreat back.
He added that it was, however, too late since the river had already swollen, forcing the boys to grasp maize stalks so as to stand firm.
Rescue operations later availed themselves after the police at Lingadzi Police Sub Station coordinated efforts. A helicopter arrived at the scene and airlifted the victims to safety with the help of some well-wishers. The victims were immediately taken to Kamuzu Central Hospital where they were treated as outpatients.
Similarly, a couple at Area 49 was also airlifted to safety after their own house was completely submerged in water. Robert Ngwaya, 34, and his wife, Chrissy, 26 were on Friday morning at around 8 am shocked to see their house engulfed in water, forcing them to hide in the ceiling.
“Hours later, the MDF helicopter airlifted them through the roof. The family was also rushed to the hospital after the wife had complained of some chest pains”, said Benjamin.
Meanwhile, the extent of the damage is yet to be made available to the general public as the running water are still causing havoc. The country’s Vice President Saulos Chilima visited the affected families on Friday afternoon.[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgHHbOlex6I[/embedyt]
ZOMBA-(MaraviPost)– Malawi is ranked third amongst most vulnerable countries to climate risk as more than 84 percent of its population depend on rain-fed agriculture.
Graziano da Silva met with Malawi’s Minister for Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Allan James Chiyembekeza, during the regional conference for Africa.
Although a quarter of a million people have been affected by the devastating flood that ripped through Malawi, government is optimistic to recovering economy through Irrigation Master Plan and Investment Framework.
Malawi’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, H.E. Mr. Brian Bowler and the Consul General of Kosovo in New York, H.E. Mrs. Teuta Sahatqija signed the agreement on behalf of their Governments.
Lilongwe, February 8: Malawi Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Brian Bowler, has appealed to the UN to provide more support for thousands of people displaced by floods in Malawi.
A statement dated February 4, 2015 and made available to Malawi News Agency (Mana) says Bowler made the appeal to the Secretary of the UN General Assembly in which he gave an update on the floods.
