AMECEA: “Let us Reach Out to Our Suffering Brothers in Malawi,” AMECEA Appeals for Humanitarian Assistance on Cyclone Disaster
Chairman of AMECEA Bishop Charles Sampa Kasonde
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Members of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) have launched a cyclone disaster initiative for support of the people of Malawi affected by the deadly tropical storm and are in need of humanitarian assistance.
In a message by the chairman of AMECEA Bishop Charles Sampa Kasonde appealing for solidarity with the affected families, he says: “In a spirit of solidarity with the Episcopal Conference of Malawi which has, on March 14, 2023, called on the local Church and people of good will to make donations to help the victims of the cyclone, I make a fervent appeal to all Conferences in the region to find ways of reaching out to our brothers in Malawi in response to this emergency situation.”
“I also extend my appeal to individuals and corporate organizations that would want to transit their help through AMECEA to contact the Secretary General using email address “secgeneral@amecea.org”.
According to AMECEA Chairman who is the Local Ordinary of Solwezi Diocese, Zambia, the cyclone dubbed as “Freddy”, triggered floods and landslides in the southern and eastern regions of Malawi which cover the Archdiocese of Blantyre and the Dioceses of Chikwawa, Zomba and Mangochi.
From the government assessment, the cyclone Freddy which hit Malawi for the first time on Sunday, March 12, “the torrential rains and damaging winds have caused over 250 deaths and injured over 600 people; it has left thousands of families homeless with their houses, farms and animals completely destroyed. Furthermore, a lot of private, government and Church infrastructure including family houses, bridges and roads have been destroyed.”
Even as the cyclone has weakened, the Bishop said in the message shared with AMECEA Online Friday, March 17, “the situation is bad as lack of proper shelter and poor sanitation exposes the survivors to diseases especially cholera and malaria.”
On Monday, March 13, the storm barreled into Malawi for the second time, and strong winds and torrential rains continue to cause extensive damage, causing unprecedented crisis as the country is still in the grip of cholera outbreak.
AMECEA Chairman appreciates those who have reached out to the affected victims in Malawi including the Holy Father saying, “I am encouraged to learn that the Holy Father Pope Francis, European and United States governments and international Catholic organizations such as Trocaire have already responded to the calls of the Malawi government and ECM (Episcopal Conference of Malawi) for emergency response.”
On Wednesday, March 15, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera called upon citizens to observe 14 days of mourning of victims of tropical Cyclone Freddy. During the period of mourning, all flags will be raised at half-mast for the first seven days.
As we continue to pray for the victims, in the spirit of solidarity as AMECEA, the Chairman Bishop Kasonde calls all “to reach out to our suffering brothers and sisters in Malawi who need our assistance.”
“Any donation towards this course can be sent to AMECEA Secretariat and will eventually remit it to the ECM’s National office which is in the best position to coordinate the emergency response,” he said.
