ORAM will carry out an assessment of current crop damage and a registration programme. Once seeds and tools have been secured farmers will be able to prepare their land and plant again. The vegetable seeds should provide a harvest in 6-8 weeks and the beans will be ready for harvest in three months. This will allow communities to re-establish their normal farming pattern. The support that ORAM is able to provide to these local communities is vital.
Local authorities have limited capacity to carry out food distributions to flood-affected farmers.
ORAM is ideally placed to provide assistance to local communities as it has strong links with local organisations and networks. Malawi It is estimated that the floods in Malawi have affected 220,000 people, in 13 of the country s 27 districts. Zimbabwe Masvingo province in Zimbabwe, previously threatened by drought, has also been affected by flooding. Other drought-affected areas include Chipinge and Mwenezi, where Christian Aid partners responded to the cyclone last year. One maize harvest had failed and there were reports that crops had not been planted due to the lack of rain.