Chinese community donates K38m for Malawi flood relief
The Chinese business community in Malawi, under the banner Chinese Chambers of Commerce in Malawi, have donated K38 million to the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) and further pledged continued support to households reeling from the impact of floods early March 2019.
The donation follows another donation of K36 million and 2,000 tonnes of rice from the Chinese Embassy to assist Malawi in responding to the needs of the affected families.
Chairperson of the Chinese Community in Malawi, Zhou Shanjian, said the Chinese Community in Malawi deeply sympathises with Malawi g for the loss of lives and property in the aftermath of the floods.
“Therefore, in the face of this disaster, we are committed to offer our help to our brothers and sisters affected by the floods in whatever way we can. We would like to join the relief efforts to those affected by the floods. We believe that with our joint efforts, we can ease the suffering of the people and help their life back to normal at an earlier date,” said Shanjian.
He disclosed that the donation is a demonstration of their commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen in Malawi.
The Chinese Charge de Affairs at the Embassy of China in Malawi, Wang Xiusheng, expressed hope that Malawi will soon recover from the disaster and rebuild their homes and livelihoods.
In his remarks, the Minister of Homeland Security, Nicholas Dausi, disclosed that over 700,000 people have been adversely affected by the recent floods.
He assured the Chinese community that the donation will be channelled towards supporting the victims, stressing that the victims will require a lot of assistance to get back on their feet.
“The suffering is real. People are scattered in camps and require water, food, medical supplies and utensils. All these need a lot of money. I thank the Chinese community in Malawi for this timely help,” said Dausi.
Meanwhile, China has announced that 4000 more tonnes of rice are on their way to Malawi to meet the food requirements of the victims.
Heavy hailstorms and floods had swept across 13 districts in Malawi, with Southern Region being the worst hit.
The flooding has claimed 60 lives while causing extensive damage to a multitude of livestock, houses property and hectarage of farmland.
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