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Rapid Response Payment Request No. 01/2013
Funds Sent To: CARD
Amount Sent: USD 60,000
Date: 31 January 2013
Details of Response
Emergency: Malawi flooding and windstorms
Date of Emergency: 2nd week of January, 2013
ACT Requesting Member: Churches Action and Relief in Development (CARD)
I. NARRATIVE SUMMARY
DETAILS OF THE EMERGENCY
Heavy rains from the night of 10th January to 12th, January, 2013 led to the swelling and consequently flooding of the two big rivers, namely Muloza and Limbuli, severely affecting 10 villages, of the two Group Village Headmen of Namasalima and Ndala in Traditional Authority Njema in Mulanje district. The affected villages include; Ndunde, Komenti, Rupa, Makokola, Namasalima, Ndala, Namwera, Mtamablika, Matola and Maliyera. However, 43 villages were affected in total.
The floods have greatly affected crops (maize, cassava, pineapples and sugar canes), road networks and houses, that have been heavily damaged. In total the floods have affected 456 hectares of cultivable land and damaged 212 houses. Victims have been evacuated to Thundu Primary School. Others victims (from Mtambalika and Matola villages) are seeking shelter in tents and shops at Limbuli trading Centre. An official report with actual figures and realistic magnitude of damage is yet to be compiled after the comprehensive assessment is done. However preliminary assessment report puts the figure of the affected households at 2,665 households (with 988 Female Headed Households). No cases of injury or death have yet been reported.
T/A Njema is located to the south of Mulanje district at the edge of Mulanje mountain, bordering Mozambique.
ACTIONS TO DATE, AND EMERGENCY NEEDS
Following the emergency, Mulanje District Civil Protection Committee and Njema Area Civil Committee conducted an assessment to assess the damage caused by the floods. The assessment was led by District Civil Protection Committee. After this assessment, the district team assigned the Area Civil Protection Committee (ACPC) and the Village Civil Protection Committees (VCPCs) in respective Group Village Headmen, to conduct more detailed assessments in the affected areas.
The assessments conducted revealed the great need of emergency response (food, household utensils, chlorine, tents and insecticide treated mosquito nets) to the affected population in the area (affected population) as swiftly as possible to save lives of those affected and at risk. Malnutrition will likely be on the rise due to lack of emergency food as most of the food crops in the area has been damaged (maize, pineapples, sugar canes and cassava). Utensils and beddings have either been damaged or swept away; affected communities are putting up in make shift tents and/or classroom blocks with little protection from weather hazards at night. This will expose the victims to emergency related diseases such as cholera and malaria cases especially to under-five children and pregnant women.
The local leaders have provided the victims with an Evacuation shelter at one of the primary schools, namely Thundu. The evacuation point lacks security, sanitary facilities, utensils, clean water and food. The Village civil protection committee and Traditional Authority are engaged in the process of registering names of those affected and providing health education messages. This is not sufficient to address the flooding impacts. The Government has started responding to the emergencies but so far has managed to address the two districts of Phalombe and Mangochi districts.
At its meeting held on the 22nd of January, 2013, the Government of Malawi, through its disaster management affairs department (DoDMA) called for support from the humanitarian actors in the country, in response to the flooding, hailstorms and windstorms that have rendered communities and several people homeless and without some necessary basic survival commodities in life.
Prior to this meeting, an interagency assessment team, commissioned by DoDMA, with support from UNDP, was sent out to the three districts of Phalombe, Mangochi and Nsanje to do a rapid assessment of the situation on the ground. Other districts affected include Salima, Thyolo, Kasungu, and Karonga district. Results of the assessment indicated that there is need for an immediate response in the areas of food distribution, water treatment, hygiene promotion, shelter provision, sanitation, support for school going pupils, seed provision, clothing and psychosocial support. (I attach the summary of the current needs from Govt.).
The Government of Malawi and other players have started supporting the affected communities with food, tents, blankets and plastic sheeting for temporary shelter construction. On the other hand, ACT Alliance Malawi forum is monitoring the situation on the ground and ensuring that it is part of the inter agency meetings for purposes of coordination and getting updates from other players.
For the full response document, please click here.
