600 Families Flee Floods in Nsanje, Seek Shelter at Mota Engil Camp

Malawi-600 families from Group Village Headman Mpomba in the area of Senior Chief Malemia in Nsanje have been forced to flee their homes due to floods in the district, writes Cornelius Lupenga.

The traditional leader of GVH Mpomba has confirmed the development, stating that his subjects have sought shelter at the Mota Engil Camp, in response to the call by the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) to relocate to safer areas.

"We have left behind our houses, and gardens where crops such as maize are about to tussle and only managed to carry a few things," said GVH Mpomba, adding that people are lacking essential needs for their day-to-day living at the site.

Nsanje District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Patrick Supuni has confirmed the presence of 600 households from the said traditional leader at the Mota Engil site and stated that the council, through the District Civil Protection Committee (DCPC), is in the process of doing an assessment of the vacated areas.

"We are yet to finalize the assessment in the area," he said. Supuni further revealed that the immediate needs of the victims are food and non-food items, toilets, and other basic needs.

Meanwhile, Group Village Headman Mambundungu, from the same area as Senior Chief Malemia, has blamed some traditional leaders in the district for not adhering to the government's call to move out of flood-prone areas.

"The authorities have, for a long time, appealed to the communities to relocate for their safety, but they have turned a deaf ear," he said.

In a related development, people from the area of Traditional Authority Nyachikadza also fled floods two weeks ago to the areas of Traditional Authorities Ndamera and Ngabu in Nsanje.