Malawi Flooding
April 2011
The Situation:
Heavy rains throughout April caused the North Rukuru river to overflow its banks and caused the collapse of a major dike on the river. This has led to massive flooding in the Karonga district. At the end of April a total of 105 villages had been affected with 541 homes being completely washed away. Many of the homes in the region are built of bricks held together by sand and mud since they people cannot afford cement. This weaker mortar is easily disolved by the flood waters and nearly 5,600 households (28,000 people) have been affected. Many families are finding refuge in area schools and churches, which are built with cement and have been able to withstand the rising waters.
Besides the destruction of homes, crops have been washed away or left underwater. Also farmers have lost cows, chickens, goats, ducks and pigs, which sometimes are a families only source of extra income or food. Shop owners have also lost access to thier businesses as they stand underwater, so people are unable to get sell or purchase resources needed in this time of need.
ELCA Response:
The ELCA is responding through the ACT Alliance and with its companions the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (ELCM) and the Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS). ACT, through partners like ELCM/ELDS, is working to provide immediate food aid for 1,000 families, supplementary nutrition for 500 childern under the age of five, and helping 1,000 farming familes to resupply crop loss. ELCM/ELDS is also working to rebuild 50 homes and one church destroyed in the flooding. As the situation progresses the ELCA will stay in contact with its companions to assess how to help in these and any further responses.
What you can do:
Pray:
Prayer is powerful way of showing solidarity with the people of Karonga as they work to hold back the waters and rebuild their lives. For prayer petitions, check out the ELCA worship resource on natural disasters.
Study and Share:
Check out these other resources for stories of how the ELCA and its companions have and are engaging in the region.
Give:
Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response help us to provide immediate and effective support to communities which are in need. Please consider giving to support the needs of this response and others like it. Information on different ways to give is provided in the left sidebar. Thank you for your prayerful consideration.
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