New York/Johannesburg - The United Nations, together with its national and international partners, is providing urgently needed humanitarian assistance across the Southern Africa region, as floods, brought by unusually early, torrential rains, continue to wreak havoc in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), swelling waters have already displaced more than 70,000 people throughout the region and affected thousands more. Tens of thousands of hectares of crops were also destroyed, leaving many areas under water and inaccessible. As the heavy rains are likely to continue in the coming days, more displacements and damage are likely.

The current situation is very similar to that of early 2007, when unusually early and heavy rains and cyclones destroyed the livelihoods of nearly 1 million people across the region, many of whom had not fully recovered by the time the 2008 storms hit. Such recurrent flooding risks drawing people into cycles of vulnerability and loss, if short- and medium-term needs are not immediately addressed.

In Mozambique, the hardest hit country, the floods have already claimed three lives and displaced some 57,000 people. More than 37,000 hectares of crops and more than 1,000 houses were also destroyed. Meanwhile, the Government of Mozambique was forced to evacuate two resettlement areas created after the 2007 floods, which are now threatened by rising water levels. At present, priority needs in the country include food, water and sanitation, shelter, family kits, health and nutrition, as well as education materials.

The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that some 282,000 individuals, including those affected by 2007 floods, will require assistance. In support of the government, WFP began food distributions in Mutarara and Machanga districts, while the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is supplying water and sanitation materials for three most affected districts. In addition, WFP and UNICEF as well as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) deployed their staff to Caia to assist the local authorities in assessing immediate needs.

Zimbabwe was also heavily hit, with some 10,000 people affected, as heavy rains triggered localized flooding. Rapid assessments conducted in the most affected areas identified needs in food, shelter, and water and sanitation sectors. WFP is currently providing emergency food rations, while the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the national Red Cross are assisting the affected with shelter and other non-food items.

Floods have also displaced nearly 1,500 persons in the neighbouring Zambia, with many of those affected being temporarily sheltered in tents and schools in nearby communities. With the rainy season barely beginning, WFP warns of a likely, significant reduction in crop production, as many crops, even those on higher grounds, are already suffering from leeching. While the Government of Zambia put a $13 million contingency plan in place, additional assistance from the humanitarian community is also being sought.

In addition to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia, severe storms have also impacted Lesotho and Swaziland. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported some 2,600 persons affected by the recent severe weather events in the two countries. Moreover, some weather-related damage is also being reported from Namibia and Malawi, however, the information on the extent of the damage and populations affected is still largely unavailable.