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Items filtered by date: April 2019
Saturday, 13 April 2019 21:26

Floods affect 878 people in Nkhotakota

Floods that came about as a result of heavy rains that fell from 10th April to the wee hours of Saturday (13th April 2019) have affected over 878 people.

The displaced, mostly from Nthondo, Kasita and Masula Villages in Sub T/A Kalimanjira, have sought refuge at Kalimanjira Trading Centre and Mkazimasika School Camps.

Speaking when he addressed the affected on Sunday, (April 14, 2019), Principal Secretary and Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs Wilson Moleni said government, through his department, will not relent in providing relief assistance to the affected.

“We heard about this tragedy yesterday and immediately dispatched some supplies which include maize, to assist them. We realize that when disasters hit, people surely need a lot of support.

“Most importantly, we also came to see for ourselves and assess the situation. As government, we will continue to support the affected,” said Moleni.

 The commissioner then appealed to the affected to move uplands as a solution to recurrence of floods in same areas.

“I am appealing to you to move to higher and safer areas in the near future to avoid perennial flooding challenges.

Moleni’s sentiments were also echoed by Sub/TA Kalimanjira and Acting District Commissioner Greystone Alindiamawo.  

 

Barely three weeks after Sunbird Tourism plc donated relief items worth K5 million, employees of the company have donated assorted items worth K1 million to people affected by the March 2019 floods.

Speaking on Tuesday (9th April, 2019) in Blantyre on behalf of Sunbird Tourism plc employees across the country, Joshua Shaba said they felt duty-bound to make the donation.

“As you may recall, Sunbird (Tourism plc) made a donation some three weeks ago, as a business entity. As employees, we felt duty-bound to make the donation,” said Shaba who is the General Manager for Sunbird Mount Soche Hotel.

Department of Disaster Management Affairs’ Director of Response and Recovery Harris Kachale commended the employees for the gesture.

“Thank you so much for the spirit of giving to those in need. How I wish this was the spirit amongst all individuals of goodwill. We would not have been talking about gaps in addressing the need of the affected people,” said Kachale.

The donated items include sugar, salt, soap, clothes and shoes.

A nurse and her friends yesterday (8th April, 2019) donated assorted clothes and shoes worth K500,000 to people affected by floods in Chikwawa and Nsanje Districts.

Josephine Masikini, a resident of Chilole Village, T/A Kapeni, Blantyre; told people residing at Ngabu Sports Club and Kaudzu Camps in Chikwawa and Nsanje respectively, that she and her friends felt the will to make a difference.

“When I saw the pictures [of the affected people and places] on various media channels, I immediately called my friends and asked them if we could do something. We agreed that we should provide clothes, on the basis that most of the affected lost their property, including clothes."

"I collected clothes and shoes from friends in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Zomba, just to mention but a few places," said Masikini who also provided zitenje to pregnant women in the camps.

In his remarks, Department of Disaster Management Affairs’ Relief Officer Ephod Kachigwada commended Masikini and her colleagues for the donation.

“As individuals, we need to take an active role towards assisting our friends who have been affected by the floods. Any sort of assistance, will surely make a difference. The response operations should not be left in the hands of government and its humanitarian partners alone,” said Kachigwada. The donation included men’s, children’s and women’s wear.

The African Union (AU) on Saturday (6th April, 2019) announced a donation of US$100,000 (about K74 million) towards flood disaster response operations.

Speaking when she addressed people residing at Nyangu Camp in T/A Makhuwira, Chikwawa, the in-coming chairperson of the AU Sub-Committee on Refugees, Returnees and Displaced Persons, Rebecca Otengo; said the donation will make a difference.

“We have made a donation of US$ 100,000 and although this is not a huge sum of money, we believe that it will make a difference in alleviating challenges being faced by people in need of relief assistance,” said Otengo, who was in the company of three other senior officials from the AU.

Otengo, whose organization has also donated US$100,000 and US$150,000 to Zimbabwe and Mozambique respectively, called on the affected people to take experts’ advise seriously.

“When you are told to move upland, please do so, this is for your own good,” said Otengo who also advised parents to ensure that their children are attending classes at their various schools.

In his remarks, DoDMA’s Director of Response and Recovery Harris Kachale commended AU for the donation and visit.

“You have travelled a very long distance to visit the affected people in their camps. This really shows that you care and that you wanted to have first-hand information with regard to the situation following the devastating floods which left over 89,000 people displaced. Your donation is a sign of unconditional unity amongst AU member states,” said Kachale.

The AU officials arrived in the country on Thursday, on humanitarian assessment mission, following flood disasters that affected 15 districts of the country.  They were accompanied to Chikwawa and Nsanje by officials from DoDMA, the Malawi Defence Force and the South African National Defence Force.  

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