By Prensa Latina
United Nations : The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says it needs $89 million to aid flood victims in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
UN Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said there are half a million needy now, with homes and crops destroyed, but the region is in the middle of the rainy season and the situation may worsen.
OCHA says Mozambique is in the worst situation and needs more than $35 million to assist 258,000 victims, plus 90,000 displaced from January.
Malawi needs $17 million to aid some 152,000 victims and has over 700 cases of cholera; Zambia needs $18.5 million for 20,000 flood victims and Zimbabwe has 15,000 displaced and needs $15.8 million in aid.
OCHA sources recall that all four countries rank atop the world’s largest AIDS/HIV hosts and the current situation will worsen the load on the families affected by that pandemic since medical services are also affected.