Cyclone Freddy survivors need support in Zomba

Partners in Action for Sustainable Development (Pasd), a non-governmental organisation, says some communities displaced by Cyclone Freddy in Zomba mid-March this year are still destitute and need support.

The organisation’s executive director Amos Chiyenda said this on Tuesday at the end of Creating Understanding, Responsiveness and Efficacy on Gender-based Violence project.

He said some communities along Lake Chilwa are still living at Kachulu and Saima evacuation camps as water levels in the the lake are draining slowly, making it difficult for people to rebuild their homes.

“We have expanded and strengthened emergency protection, including gender-based violence referral pathways to protect women, girls, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups from violence in the camps,” said Chiyenda.

He said they also strengthened and improved access to protection and preventive services by installing solar powered flood lights.

Idah Chatha, a cyclone survivor at Kachulu evacuation camp, said now they have access to information on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.

She called on government and other stakeholders to consider relocating the survivors to higher places, saying this year has been unproductive as they have spent most of the their time in camps.

Fanuel Sadick, another survivor, said some men are trekking to Mozambique to search for work to feed their families.

Zomba district social welfare officer Francis Futu said that some communities who are still in evacuation camps need support.

With support from the United Nations Central Emergency Relief Fund through UN Women, the organisation is empowering cyclone survivors with material and psychosocial support aimed at uprooting gender-based violence incidences in camps.