China donates K740m for floods recovery
China has provided $1 million (about K740 million) to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) to help families recovering from the effects of the March 2019 floods in Malawi.
The donation includes funds for water treatment chemicals, nutrition therapeutic treatment supplies, child protection services and procurement of school supplies.
Unicef said in a statement on Wednesday that the assistance is within the framework of the South-South Cooperation Fund which provides safe water, emergency sanitation facilities and protection from disaster to families and children affected by Cyclone Idai.
Unicef Malawi country representative Rudolf Schwenk said families affected by the floods have returned home or relocated to safer areas, but there was need to support the recovery and reconstruction process to avoid creating different forms of vulnerabilities.
He said: “Building and maintaining strong partnerships is key to improving children’s lives. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration with the Government of China for the benefit of the children in Malawi.”
On his part, Chinese Ambassador Liu Hongyang said his government was pleased to help, within its capacity, to address the needs of the affected Malawian families.
Department of Disaster Management Affairs deputy director of disaster response and recovery Dyce Nkhoma described the provision of the $1 million as a step in the right direction.
Unicef and its partners have supported Malawi’s response since March, providing safe water, mobile clinics, and psychosocial support for children, school supplies and nutrition therapeutic treatment supplies to affected families and communities.
A Post Disaster Needs Assessment report on the March 2019 Cyclone Idai-induced floods indicated that Malawi needs about $375 million (about K276 billion) for recovery and reconstruction.
