ACT members in Malawi are responding to the floods that have affected
13 districts in all three regions of the country. Churches Action
in Relief and Development (CARD) has provided tents to families who
have been made homeless. The Evangelical Lutheran Development Programme
(ELDP), working closely together with the Lutheran World Federation
(LWF) is distributing clothes and blankets. ACT is releasing 20,000
USD in rapid response funds to LWF/ELDP for assisting the victims.
Reports say that more than 200,000 people have been affected by the
floods in Malawi which have been caused by swelling rivers arising
from the incessant rains which started mid January. The affected areas
are Nsanje, Chikwawa, Mangochi, Phalombe and Blantyre in the southern
region, Salima and Nkhotakota in the central region, and Karonga and
Nkhata Bay in the northern region.
The most affected district is Nsanje where 22,454 families have been
rendered homeless and five people have lsot their lives. Many more
people are feared dead from crocodiles which have been let loose by
the swelling rivers. So far most of those affected in Nsanje have
sought refuge at the district headquartes. Reports say that thousands
have been accommodated in public buildings, including schools and
churches. There are fears that lack of sanitation facilities for such
a multitude of people could cause an outbreak of cholera and dysentery.
Many of the affected areas are still unaccessible by road due to
comprehensive flood damage to roadfs and bridges. Consequently, government,
district authorities, UN agencies and NGOs have been unable to get
a complete picture of the situation, and many areas are still not
accessible by road. The two ACT members, CARD and ELDP, are coordinating
their response and assessing the situation in close contact with government
officials and other NGOs and are preparing a proposal for an ACT Appeal.
"At the moment we have not enough stocks of relief material to deal
with a disaster of this scale, says an ELDP representative.
Extensive damage has been done to property such as livestock, crops
and household utensils. Many houses have been swept off by the floods
or destroyed by heavy rainfall. Of immediate requirement are food
items and household utensils. The affected areas are also prone to
the outbreak of water-borne diseases therefore the provision of drugs
and sanitation facilities are equally important. At many places there
is a need to shift people upland which requires the provision of tents.
