News

The rain has eased enough for Anna and Goodson to begin to assess the damage in the surrounding community following Cyclone Freddy.

Anna writes: ” We walked. 😉 Not even trying to drive today.

“Some pictures are following. The damage is extensive. Many, many houses have fallen. It’s a bit overwhelming.

“And, yet, what we are facing here is nothing compared to other parts of the country – where entire villages were swept away by mud slides.

“Please pray for wisdom to know how to help when the need is so overwhelming.”

Many, many houses have fallen. It’s a bit overwhelming.

Anna
A selection of the damaged houses in our community

In Blantyre, the situation is particularly bad in some of the very overcrowded townships. Blantyre is surrounded by mountains, and many of the townships are built on lower foothills, making them susceptible to mudslides. Homes are typically built with mud-brick, often with only mud for mortar, and building standards in the townships are not enforced. A recipe for disaster.

In the immediate aftermath of this disaster the needs are:

  • Plastic sheeting for emergency shelter
  • Blankets
  • Food

In the longer term there will a lot of reconstruction to do.

We have begun a process of talking to the local village chiefs to see who the most needy and vulnerable are.

Here is a selection of heart-breaking news pieces from reliable sources:

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The following page give a good assessment of the humantitarian impact, and is updated regularly: https://reliefweb.int/disaster/tc-2023-000023-mdg#updates

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It’s likely that over the past few days you’ve heard mention of Tropical Storm Ana – the cyclone that swept through southern Africa earlier this week, leaving a tremendous amount of destruction in its wake.

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We wish you all a very Happy Christmas. This is a good time to remember the many who are not blessed with the material things we take for granted.

This dear old lady was just so grateful when I met her a few days ago that she would be getting a roof – we’ve been rebuilding her home since it was destroyed by the cyclone, but in the meantime she has been sleeping on her grass mat within the newly-constructed walls, but under the canopy of heaven.

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When Cyclone Idai hit Malawi and neighbouring countries in March this year, experience had taught us that the real problems would manifest themselves in the months, rather than days that followed. These events have a “long tail”.

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In the immediate aftermath of the cyclone there was a good response from various NGOs, providing emergency food and shelter and other basic necessities.

Knowing from experience that this problem would have a “long tail”, we didn’t rush to act, apart from intervening in a few particularly urgent cases. Instead, we have been monitoring the situation as it develops in order to discern where the real, long term needs lie, and what our priorities should be in response.

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We are grateful to all who have responded practically to the immediate need following the flooding in Southern Malawi.

Obviously, we can only make a small contribution to the relief effort, but we trust that, with your help, it will be a meaningful one.

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Brother Emi just sent these photos from Kachoka where around 100 spent the night at the Christian Kintergarten.

We are glad to be able to assist with emergency supplies of food, but the long-term affect upon these families will be enormous. This is one small area – the flooding has affected many areas in the Southern Region.

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