ATLANTA, Georgia, Jan. 18 (MaraviPost) _ Death toll in Malawi’s raging floods continue to climbed over 200 with hundreds others still missing especially in the southern Lower Shire Valley.
Vice President Saulos Chilima said it best on Friday, “It’s a very bad situation,” he said at a press conference in Blantyre after flying over the flooded valley in a military helicopter.
President Peter Mutharika has been commended by many for his leadership in handling the disaster, The President has appealed for donors and members of the International Community to urgently help the country in its rescue efforts.
The Malawi leader has also commended efforts and humanitarian assistance that has been rendered. He reiterated earlier calls for more assistance from the international community.
Mutharika has pleaded with local private sector as well as all fellow citizens of goodwill to offer their support to help alleviate the suffering on the part of people affected by the floods.
The President has also mobilized the Malawi Army and Police force to assist in rescue operations of those that have been marooned.
It is clear from objective observers that The Malawi Government is doing everything within its power with limited financial resources to assist those affected with this natural disaster that Peter Mutharika did not cause.
We then on our part choose not to get in Governments way by being critical, time for that will come. Instead we ask Malawians to unite and do what we can to assist those that need our help. There are old people that need to be carried to dry ground, we implore young able Malawians to go and volunteer to help.
Roland Smith who is clearly not Malawian by birth wrote the following on his Facebook comments “I feel very sorry for those that have lost everything. I know there are a lot of people getting together and organizing help relief for these people. We need to move faster as there is a danger of diseases like cholera taking hold which will bring more deaths”.
That is the response one would expect rather than worrying about the missteps taken or not taken by government.
We remind those wanting to help that, The Department of Disaster Management Affairs in the Office of the Vice President has established a hotline, short code 115 for the general public to report on disasters that have occurred in their areas to facilitate quick response.
Secondly those wanting to offer financial assistance, contributions can be made through the following accounts: Malawi Kwacha, Bank Account Number 9700000100514 and 9700000105257, USD Currency Denominated Account Number 8600000018078, FDH Bank Limited, Swift code FDHFMWMW, Bank Name: Barclays Bank, London, Swift Code BARCGB22, Account Number 77231488 and Cheques should be made payable to “Office of the President – Disaster Management”.
If these floods cannot unite us for at least a week nothing else can.
