As you may be aware, Malawi is currently suffering the effects of terrible flooding.
We, in Dunblane, have been following the news unfold and with great concern for our friends and partners in Likhubula.
The following extracts are taken from an update to the Dunblane Committee from one of our committee members, Jenni:
I am monitoring Facebook and papers as I can. We are hearing reports that at the peak of the storm, Mount Mulanje received 12 inches of rain in 24 hours.
The Likhubula community is at the base of Mount Mulanje, and so we expect they will have experienced this first hand.
We have had no news from our committee since the storm hit.
(at the time of writing- we have since heard news. See separate article)
Examples given showing the plight of the country include Mulanje Mission Hospital, which has lost all electricity, and is now dependent on generators. Flood water ran through the hospital - there is a picture of a collapsed toilet block.
Mulanje Mission hospital is the local mission hospital to Likhubula. They have provided support to our partnership in many areas including our Goat Project.
Articles talk of the danger of water borne diseases, of fractured roads and access problems and, most serious of all, the loss of a year's worth of crops. January to April is always the lean time for food in rural areas as families await an April harvest. If the affected geographical areas will now have no harvest, there are at least 15 months ahead of food insecurity.
As a partnership, we are considering the best approach to providing support to our friends in Malawi. Keep a look out for more updates, and for more information and latest news we recommend following #MalawiFloods on twitter.
There are also many emergency appeals being carried out by other organisations. The Scotland Malawi Partnership (of which we are a member organisation) has shared details of the following emergency appeals, which you may wish to support:
EMMS International - www.emms.org/flood In their Emergency Appeal, all money donated by 31st January 2015 will be matched by the UK Government with UKAid.
Scotland-Chikwawa Health Initiative - www.justgiving.com/from Contact: Dave Thomson, thomson.thomson@btinternet.com
Church of Scotland World Mission Council Contact: Carol Finlay, CFINLAY@COFSCOTLAND.ORG.UK
Children’s Medical Care Malawi - www.justgiving.com/malawifloodappeal
The Responsible Safari Company (Malawi) If you'd like to offer any support from outside Malawi please contact, info@responsiblesafaricompany.com
Students for Malawi - https://www.justgiving.com/students-for-malawi/ Contact: info@studentsformalawi.co.uk
