"It's getting worse in Malawi because it is raining everyday," said Lilian Ng'oma, a senior official in the disaster management ministry. "We expect more rains and more flooding this year.

Three people have died so far in the floods, she added.

"So far, a total of 12,199 households or about 73,000 people have been affected in different ways."

Ng'oma said the floods and storms that have pummelled half of the country's 28 districts, have "damaged houses, livestock, crops and infrastucture such as roads and bridges."

Relief efforts were being hampered by the fact that some parts of the country, near the border with Mozambique, could now only be reached by boat.

"If the situation does not improve, we will approach the army to assist us in lifting relief assistance by helicopter to Makhanga," Ng'oma said.

Some 2,500 Mozambicans living along the flooded Shire river had also crossed into Malawi in boats, she added.

"Water and crocodiles are everywhere and the easiest place to run to is Malawi," she said.

Malawi has spent 360,000 dollars on relief operations since last November, she said.

The country's meteorological services have warned that heavy rains may induce heavy flooding in flood-prone areas like the Lower Shire Valley.

On January 16, the International Red Cross launched an appeal for five million euros (7.2 million dollars) aid for the southern African to help mitigate the effects of the floods that have swept across the region.

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