Heavy rain victims appeal for more help

Victims of heavy rain in Balaka and Mulanje are appealing for more help from well-wishers.

The heavy rain fell in some parts of the country on October 10 and destroyed homes, killed two people in Mchinji and injured others. 

In Balaka, the District Civil Protection Committee reported that 188 people were affected in Sub-Traditional Authority (ST/A) Kachenga  while in Mulanje 1 244 houses, five schools and Mpala Health Centre in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mabuka were affected.

During a tour to Sub-T/A Kachenga in Balaka and T/A Mabuka in Mulanje on Friday, Malawi News Agency (Mana) established that victims are staying in their colleagues’ houses a week after their homes were destroyed by the heavy rains.

In random interviews, some victims bemoaned lack of resources to rebuild their homes.

Loveness John, 39, from ST/A Kachenga said she was staying with her sister.

“I need resources to rebuild my home,” she said.

In T/A Mabuka in Mulanje, the affected people said they need food items while another victim, Annie Aizeki, asked for plastic sheets to construct temporary shelter.

Meanwhile, Balaka district commissioner (DC) McCloud Kadam’manja has asked well-wishers to help the council to reach out to the victims.

“The victims will need food and shelter,” he said.

His Mulanje counterpart Stallichi Mwambiwa said the disaster affected the full reopening of schools on October 12.

“It is sad the incident is happening when children are expected back in school. We feel we should address this immediately,” he said.

Mwambiwa, however, said that the council is devising contingency plans to help the affected households.

“I also appeal to stakeholders to intervene,” said Mwambiwa.

The rains have also affected Nkhata Bay and Mchinji districts.