At least 60,000 people have been displaced in southern Malawi following heavy rains over most of the country, the BBC said on Friday. The report said that worst hit was the district of Nsanje in the flood-prone Lower Shire Valley close to Mozambique. Malawian relief official Lucius Chikuni was quoted as saying that whole families had taken refuge in small patches of high ground and in schools and churches.
"The situation is becoming desperate since all roads to the area have been destroyed so relief efforts are becoming impossible," he said. Chikuni added that because such a huge area of land in the district was under water it was difficult for his department to get help to people. Chikuni said that he and his team flew to the area in an army helicopter on Wednesday and Thursday but were unable to land anywhere.
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