Zambia is considering declaring a state of emergency following the worst floods in 40 years which have wreaked havoc in the west and north-west of the country, affecting 700,000 people.

Unusually long and severe wet seasons over the last three years compounded by heavy rains in the past month have caused rivers to burst their banks, washing away roads and houses and flooding cropland.

"If the rains do not subside, internal government consultations are under way to see whether we shall have to declare a state of emergency," said Dominiciano Mulenga, national coordinator of the Zambia Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit.

Zambia's President Rupiah Banda who visited the flood-affected Western province on Monday described the situation as "really terrible".

"Our assessment has revealed that between 600,000 and 700,000 people have been either displaced or severely crippled by the floods especially in nine of the 18 districts that have been affected," Mulenga told AlertNet by telephone.

The worst affected districts include Shang'ombo, Lukulu, Kalabo and Kaoma.

"We have been flying relief items to affected communities cut off by floods and we have asked others in low-lying areas to migrate to higher areas," Mulenga said.

With no sign of a let-up in the rainy weather, there are growing fears the flooding could worsen in the coming weeks and devastate the largely agricultural-based economies of the region in the middle of the critical summer growing season.

In January 2008, Zambia declared a national disaster after floods swept through the landlocked nation and several neighbouring countries, killing at least 45 people and destroying roads, bridges, crops and livestock.

Heavy downpours are common in southern Africa in the rainy season, which runs generally from November to April, but this year's relentless rain is unusual and has caught officials off-guard.

The Zambian government has not yet reported any deaths from the flooding.

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