Westport , CT (Updated March 15, 2006) –

Save the Children is responding quickly to the deadly cholera outbreak in Malawi that is putting thousands of children and their families at risk. The agency already has distributed food and supplies to 11,500 families in the affected area.

Save the Children workers in Mangochi, located at the southern tip of Lake Malawi in southern Africa, report 735 cholera cases and 15 deaths from the disease at the end of the first week of March. They fear the death toll could rise as a result of recent heavy rains and flooding.

The cholera outbreak follows a severe drought that began last year that has resulted in food shortages for nearly half of Malawi's 12 million people. The crisis has become especially acute in the southern province where many families have resorted to eating contaminated food.

Cholera, which is often fatal, can cause severe diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration. It is spread by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.

“Over the last weekend, rains started to fall heavily in most areas of the country, particularly in the Mangochi and Salima districts, causing floods in vast areas,” said Mohamed Idris, Save the Children’s manager of hunger programs in Malawi. The floods have made the situation much worse for many families in the region, he said.

At least 1,000 families have lost their homes and 500 have lost their crops due to recent rains. Many displaced families are living in schools, churches and mosques.

Save the Children is moving quickly to expand its delivery of blankets and plastic sheeting to provide temporary shelter for families and keep children warm. In addition, the agency will distribute chlorine to help treat unclean water and construction materials for improving living standards in affected communities. In-country volunteers are also being trained in 13 Malawi health centers to assist in the treatment of malnourished children and pregnant and lactating mothers.

The number of families affected is expected to increase as more information comes in from remote areas. Heavy rains during the first week of March further disparaged children and families already displaced by the floods.

Save the Children has been working in Malawi since 1983 with programs that focus on improving access to quality education and increasing the availability and use of basic health services, such as immunizations, voluntary family planning and safe water.

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