Red cross needs $2.7 million for Malawi flood victims

The Malawi Red Cross is continuing to support people affected by floods which have left 135,000 displaced in three districts of southern Malawi.
Rainstorms have also destroyed houses and property in the capital Lilongwe and the commercial city of Blantyre where some people were killed by the rising waters.
Heavy rains have, over the past weeks, caused flooding in Malawi especially the southern districts of Phalombe, Nsanje and Chikwawa, leaving close to 200 people dead.
“Working through our local volunteers, we have been responding to the disaster and helping victims in all the affected areas,” said Ethel Kaimila, Secretary General of the Malawi Red Cross Society.
Apart from general response operations, the Red Cross has directly supported 7,000 displaced people with tarpaulins, family tents, shelter kits, mosquito nets and hospital tents.
The Red Cross, with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies, plans to assist 40,000 affected people in Chikwawa, Nsanje, Phalombe and some urban parts of the city of Blantyre between February and March. The affected people will need continued support for some time and we need 2.7 million US dollars to provide such support between, added Kaimila.

Funds raised will be used to distribute additional emergency relief supplies such as kitchen sets, shelter kits and tarpaulins; food supplies to support displaced families for three months, and to rehabilitate 600 houses damaged by the floods.
Apart from our own response, we have also provided tarpaulins, blankets and body bags to the Government of Malawi for use in their response.
Since the first day of the disaster, the Red Cross has been providing a number of services to the affected including managing camps, reconnecting separated families, assisting in search and rescue operations, counselling flood victims, and distributing relief items.