Deadly Floods Menace Tens Of Thousands In Malawi

According to CNN- Tens of thousands of people in the southern tip of Malawi have been cut off by deadly floods, leaving them without food, clean water or access to health care, aid organizations have warned, while many others have been displaced.

Conflicting accounts from the southeast African nation put the number killed at anywhere from dozens to more than 170. Continue...

Gift of the Givers, an African nongovernmental organization specializing in disaster response, said Malawi was facing "probably the greatest flood disaster in the history of its existence."

The organization said 173 people were confirmed killed -- and warned of worse news to come.

"The death toll is expected to rise as it is believed that 183 people have been swept away from one village alone," the group said. "Massive destruction to agriculture, roads, bridges and general infrastructure including power facilities has complicated the situation due to prolonged power outages."

Malawi President Peter Mutharika on Wednesday put the number of dead at 48.

Declaring a state of emergency in the areas affected, he said an estimated 70,000 people had been forced from their homes.

He appealed for international assistance, saying: "Tents and food are urgently required. Rescue operations are also a priority."

Gift of the Givers said that 200,000 people had been displaced and 11,000 homes damaged. A day earlier, the U.N. humanitarian affairs agency, OCHA, put the number displaced at about 100,000.

Medecins San Frontiers, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said Friday that around 20,000 people in the country's southern tip "remain cut off from the rest of the country without food, health care and ways to prevent possible outbreaks."  

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