Britain increases Malawi support to flood victims

Britain has increased its funding to Malawi response t o provide more food, blankets and essential supplies for the thousands of people who have lost their homes due to the floods in Malawi.

UK’s International Development Secretary Justine Greening  announced on Thursday that the increase of the support  will include food for 370,000 people and improved access to water and sanitation for 34,000 people to prevent the spread of disease.

The Department for International Development (DFID)’s £4.1 million funding is also supporting early recovery efforts to enable people to rebuild their livelihoods which have been devastated by the floods.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of life in Malawi due to the floods. The UK has been quick off the mark to deliver emergency aid so that food, cook stoves and other vital supplies are getting through to families who have had to leave their homes and belongings,” said Justine Greening MP.

He said Britain is also “working hard”  to enable families displaced by the floods who are currently living in camps “to return home as the water subsides, to rebuild their homes and replant the crops Malawians have lost.”

Greening said the UK is working with UNICEF, World Food Programme, Concern Universal, GOAL Malawi and other international NGOs  to ensure that support reaches those that need it most, in line with the Government of Malawi’s Preliminary Response Plan.

In addition, the UK  said it is monitoring the situation on the ground so that it can respond to possible disease outbreaks.

DFID said the funding is coming from its “existing budget for Malawi without affecting activity in other programmes.”

The UK has now allocated a total of £7.5 million to support disaster relief efforts in Malawi.