Russia donates relief items to Malawi
The Russian Government has donated assorted relief items to Malawi Government to aid people that have been affected by floods.
The items, weighing 301 045 tonnes, include tents, blankets, sugar, cooking oil, rice and canned meat and fish.
In an interview during the handover at Kamuzu International Airport, Minister of Homeland Security Nicholas Dausi said the donation would greatly help the survivors.
He said: “On behalf of every Malawian, I would like to thank President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation for the help rendered. Concisely put, the donation will help in redesigning and reconstruction of 67 camps across the nation which are accommodating over a million people.”
On his part, Russian Federation Ambassador to Zimbabwe and Malawi Sergey V. Bakharev expressed sympathy for the survivors.
“On behalf of the Russian Federation, I would like to offer my condolences to those affected by the floods and it is my hope that this donation will ease their situation,” he said.
Bakharev added that Russia considers Malawi a true friend and that the gesture will not only assist the floods survivors but will also help in cementing the relationships between the two countries.
President Peter Mutharika declared Malawi a State of National Disaster on March 8, following floods that affected 15 districts in the Southern and Central regions. Last week, floods also displaced residents of Tcharo Village in Rumphi, leaving three dead, five missing and others injured.
According to Dausi, 64 people have died while 675 have been injured and over 86 000 displaced since the floods started last month.
The total requirements for the response plan is K33.5 billion ($45.2 million) out of which K10.8 billion ($14.6 million) has been received or pledged so far, leaving an outstanding gap of K22.6 billion ($30.6 million) by start of April.
Other countries that have provided aid for the flood victims include the United Kingdom, United States of America, Germany, South Africa, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Currently, government through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs is relocating people from flood-prone areas to higher ground. The people are being given a relocation pack that includes tents for temporary shelter and food stuffs.
