MALAWI: Schools Turned into Shelters to Accommodate Floods’ Victims
Over 78
primary schools have been turned into shelters to accommodate people whose
homes have been washed away by floods which also claimed about 200 lives in
Malawi.
primary schools have been turned into shelters to accommodate people whose
homes have been washed away by floods which also claimed about 200 lives in
Malawi.
According to
Mr. Chris Chisoni, the National Secretary for Catholic Commission for Justice
and Peace CCPJ, in the history of Malawi, there have been floods from time to
time but not of the same magnitude as the one that was recently witnessed. “In
the preceding 10 years, Malawi has witnessed erratic rains with droughts here
and there. We could hear of flooding in some districts along the main river
banks and lake shores but not in the cities,” he said.
Mr. Chris Chisoni, the National Secretary for Catholic Commission for Justice
and Peace CCPJ, in the history of Malawi, there have been floods from time to
time but not of the same magnitude as the one that was recently witnessed. “In
the preceding 10 years, Malawi has witnessed erratic rains with droughts here
and there. We could hear of flooding in some districts along the main river
banks and lake shores but not in the cities,” he said.
Chisoni said
that lots of livestock and household properties have been washed away and
houses have fallen down in the urban area and cities such as Lilongwe, Zomba
and Blantyre, a scenario that has never been witnessed before.
that lots of livestock and household properties have been washed away and
houses have fallen down in the urban area and cities such as Lilongwe, Zomba
and Blantyre, a scenario that has never been witnessed before.
“It has been
a maximum disaster that led the state president to declare a state of disaster
for all the over 18 districts affected,” he said adding that “This has been a
huge cyclone whereby we are told that crops worth 3.5 billion Malawi Kwacha
(approximately 8.7 million US$) have been washed away and livestock worth over
6 billion Malawi Kwacha (approximately 15 million US$) has been washed away
especially in the lower escarpment in the lower states of Shire River, which is
the main river from Lake Malawi and is perceived to be a flood prone area.”
a maximum disaster that led the state president to declare a state of disaster
for all the over 18 districts affected,” he said adding that “This has been a
huge cyclone whereby we are told that crops worth 3.5 billion Malawi Kwacha
(approximately 8.7 million US$) have been washed away and livestock worth over
6 billion Malawi Kwacha (approximately 15 million US$) has been washed away
especially in the lower escarpment in the lower states of Shire River, which is
the main river from Lake Malawi and is perceived to be a flood prone area.”
The Diocese
of Chikwawa was hugely affected by the flood and there are some parishes that
Christians are failing to meet for prayers because their communities have been
displaced, the roads and bridges destroyed by the floods.
of Chikwawa was hugely affected by the flood and there are some parishes that
Christians are failing to meet for prayers because their communities have been
displaced, the roads and bridges destroyed by the floods.
Chisoni
explained that the caritas commission for the Episcopal Conference of Malawi
quickly sent an appeal to different caritas members and different development
partners to support the course for the provision of relief services like food,
shelter, blankets, and even clothing and utensils and the response has been
quite good.
explained that the caritas commission for the Episcopal Conference of Malawi
quickly sent an appeal to different caritas members and different development
partners to support the course for the provision of relief services like food,
shelter, blankets, and even clothing and utensils and the response has been
quite good.
He said that
the government of Malawi also mobilized resources of its own and managed to
consolidate over 1.5 billion Malawi Kwacha (approximately 3.7 million US$) which
has been distributed to the victims.
the government of Malawi also mobilized resources of its own and managed to
consolidate over 1.5 billion Malawi Kwacha (approximately 3.7 million US$) which
has been distributed to the victims.
“UNDP has had
a very huge program seeking to coordinate efforts from all development partners
to direct the resources directly by themselves to the community or via
nongovernmental organizations,” he said.
a very huge program seeking to coordinate efforts from all development partners
to direct the resources directly by themselves to the community or via
nongovernmental organizations,” he said.
By Pamela Adinda Online News Reporter
