Red Cross Assisting Malawi's Poorest in Adapting to Floods
Heavy floods and an unusually strong drought have tormented the region of Nsanje in southern Malawi over the past three years. The local population is now facing starvation.
In Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, the effects of climate change are severe, affecting all levels of society. In the rainy season of 2014 – 2015, heavy floods hit the southern region. People had to flee their homes and crop fields were washed out, leaving the soil without seeds to plant in the coming season.
This year, instead of the expected rainy season where there is heavy rain for weeks, the region of Nsanje is among several experiencing severe drought. Malawi has a population of 17 million people, 90 per cent of whom depend on agriculture to survive. Currently, between 6 and 8 million people are affected by the drought.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies