MALAWI – Emergency aid for flood victims
2023-04-25
A rapid response to an emergency
The Umckaloabo Foundation has provided €30,000 as emergency aid for Malawi. When tropical storm Freddy swept over southern Africa in March, over 560,000 people lost their homes. In Malawi alone, there were nearly 700 dead and over 500 missing.
Even though the Umckaloabo Foundation focuses on long-term activities, it always steps in and offers short-term aid to help in times of crisis.
Experienced project partners
As ever, we work with experienced partners on site who we know well: here we chose the medical aid organization Action Medeor Malawi. It supplies hospitals in affected areas with medicines such as antibiotics and painkillers as well as the infusion equipment and bandaging needed to take care of people who have been injured.
Another part of the emergency aid went to Pastor Paul from Blantyre, one of the most severely impacted regions. He is a project partner we know well and trust, and he is close to the people there. With the help of the Umckaloabo Foundation, he was able to give over 300 families oil, corn and blankets.
Difficult situation in camps
Those who have been unhoused currently live in camps where hygienic conditions are problematic, as is food supply. Even before the cyclone, Malawi was dealing with an outbreak of cholera.
The Malawian ambassador to Germany, Joseph Mpinganjira, was a guest of the Umckaloabo Foundation in Karlsruhe in November 2022 and informed us of this alarming situation during his visit. Even before the storm took place, the country’s health-care system was under pressure, and now many hospitals have been damaged and cannot be fully used.