A bridge damaged in a flood is seen in Nkhotakota District, Malawi, on Dec. 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Kenneth Jali)
NKHOTAKOTA, Malawi, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Long lines of stranded trucks, buses and desperate travelers now mark what was once a vital artery in central Malawi, as torrential rains have severed the Lakeshore Road, also known as the M5, leaving flood survivors in Nkhotakota District isolated and short of basic supplies.
The road has been cut at no fewer than four points before reaching Nkhotakota, a lakeside district known for sugar production and trade. With continued rainfall rendering vast areas inaccessible, food and other essential relief items are barely reaching displacement camps sheltering hundreds of flood victims.
At several points along the damaged road, trucks carrying relief food have stood idle for days, while passenger buses line up in muddy queues, their drivers waiting without knowing when passage will be restored.
"This has really affected us," Bright Kambewa, chairperson of the Malawi Red Cross Society in Nkhotakota, told Xinhua. "The M5 connects Nkhotakota to Salima, Nkhata Bay and Kasungu districts. With the road cut off, everything is at a standstill."
The disruption has forced travelers and residents to resort to risky alternatives. At Kaombe Bridge, where floodwaters have washed away the crossing, people wade through the river on foot or pool money to hire fishing canoes improvised to ferry passengers.
Kambewa warned that these measures come with serious dangers. "The canoes are meant for fishing, not for transporting people, and some of those operating them are not trained. Anything can happen, but we have no solution. For now, we only have one marine boat deployed in the area," he said.
More than 200 flood survivors, according to the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma), are awaiting assistance at Dwangwa Junior Primary School, which has been converted into a temporary camp.
Among them is Teleza Chimphamba from Traditional Authority Kanyenda in Nkhotakota District, who describes surviving with her five family members as a miracle.
"Our lives were in danger," she said. "The water reached the windows of my house. We thank God that we survived, considering how strong the floods were."
Local officials said the road damage has compounded the suffering of communities already hit hard by the floods. Thokozani Ndalama, a community disaster management coordinator, said shortages are worsening by the day.
"We are facing food shortages and lack other essentials like soap," he said. "Government assistance has not yet reached us in a tangible way, especially with Dwangwa and Kaombe Bridge cut off."
Chief Executive Officer of the Roads Authority Ammiel Champiti told local media that construction companies have been tasked with repairing the damaged sections of the M5, one site at a time.
Malawi is currently in the midst of its 2025/26 rainy season, with persistent heavy downpours that began in late December triggering widespread flooding and flash flood conditions. Meteorological services issued high-risk flood warnings from Dec. 29 into early January, as continuous rains swelled rivers and washed out key infrastructure across the lakeshore and central regions.
As of Jan. 1, floods had affected more than 1,000 households, impacting over 42,000 people and destroying homes and property across the country, the Dodma said. ■
A bridge damaged in a flood is seen in Nkhotakota District, Malawi, on Dec. 31, 2025. TO GO WITH "Feature: Flood damage to key road hampers aid delivery in central Malawi" (Xinhua/Kenneth Jali)