International: response to Malawi floods

The Salvation Army is responding after severe floods caused devastation in Malawi. More than 300 people are reported to be dead or missing, and Colonel Moses Wandulu (Territorial Commander, Malawi) reports that houses, livestock, food and crops have been swept away, leaving survivors with nothing. More than 100,000 people were left homeless, with an estimated 300,000 affected in some way.

The Salvation Army is responding to the needs of vulnerable families in five communities, working in coordination with the government and other agencies to ensure that the most urgent needs are met and that any response is carried out in the most efficient way possible. Distributions are being planned to deliver items such as maize, peas and beans to help support the families' requirements for food, along with mosquito nets to protect against the threat of malaria, and blankets to help people cope with the cold.

The Salvation Army's Canada and Bermuda Territory has already provided almost US$20,000 to provide food, bedding and mosquito nets to 240 people in Chikwawa, but more funds are urgently needed.

Colonel Wandulu says that The Salvation Army in Malawi has been badly affected by the flooding, with some halls and quarters left unusable. Captains Amos and Alice Zikatiwindu and their family at Osiyana Corps (church) only survived by taking refuge up a tree for three days and nights. Colonel Wandulu and the emergency team have visited the captains, providing food and clothing, and supporting the family in prayer.