France, Feb. 8 -- Kakuyu, in Malawi's central district of Nkhotakota, provides hundreds of farmers with their livelihoods.Close to both the Dwangwa River and Lake Malawi, its swampy delta land makes it easy to grow crops such as rice and maize twice a year, without the need for fertilisers.

But a heavy downpour in December displaced these farmers and washed away their crops, which were about to be harvested.

Authorities say Nkhotakota and the surrounding districts received continuous rainfall from 25 December straight through to the end of the month, leading to rising water levels in rivers and streams which culminated in flooding of low lying areas.

Malawi's Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) said on 22 January that "at...