Tag Archives: Karonga flood victims

Development

DODMA donates to Karonga flood victims

Maravi Post Reporter
Dodma aids food items to Karonga floods survivors

By Lusekero Mhango

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Department of Disaster Management Afairs (DODMA) on Thursday, January 6, 2023 distributed relief items to over 473 households hit by floods in some parts of Karonga District.

The donation which included a 50-kilogram bag of maze, 10 metres of plastic sheets and plates followed heavy rains that fell last week on December 30 which has so far affected over 1000 households at Mweneyumba and Zinde in the area of Traditional Authority, (T.A) Kyungu.

Speaking in an interview Relief and Rehabilitation Officer for Karonga District Council Shepard Jeri, said DODMA through the council deemed it necessary to donate the items considering the gravity of the damage the floods have caused the area and the families.

Further saying the assistance will go a long way in cautioning the effects of the devastation that families experienced.

“We know there are a multitude of victims out there that need urgent attention and support hence the assistance which we believe will make a significant impact one way or another,” he explained.

Jeri has since disclosed plans to engage chiefs in an effort to identify land that will be allocated to communities residing in the flood prone areas to relocate to upland in order to prevent and protect further disasters from happening.

One of the beneficiaries Lindsey Mwangonde of Mwanyongo village in TA Kyungu, expressed gratitude for the assistance as she recalled the night of December 30th as she was awoken by raging water that made there way to her house.

“I never anticipated that we would be receiving the donation its like a dream come true hence I can now smile,” she articulated.

On his part Chairperson for Mpande Area Civil Protection Committee (ACPC) Advocate Mbale, appealed for further assistance in farming inputs as many families have lost all of their crops that they had planted a situation which further threaten food security in their households and the district.

Development, Malawi

Karonga flood victims shun Malawi Red Cross relief items…..Opt for Salvation Army’s maize donation

Maravi Post Reporter
Karonga flood victims opt for Salvation Army’s maize donation against Malawi Red Cross relief items

KARONGA-(MaraviPost)-There was drama at Zindi Evacuation Camp in the area area of traditional authority (T/A) Kalonga in Karonga district on Tuesday after the Salvation Army and the Malawi Redcross Society collided at the camp with their relief items for the flood victims.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, a team of Salvation Army led by their Chief Secretary, Lieutenant Cornel Alfred Banda and the district’s programs manager, Matthews Tulombolombo stormed the camp with various relief items like bags of maize, beans and cooking oil worth millions of kwachas.

According to acting senior group village head (SGVH) Zindi, the camp has over 400 households who are affected by heavy floods which occurred on 2nd March that led to destruction of their houses and food items.

SGVH Zindi expressed gratitude towards the religious institution for the kitchen nd gesture showcased to his subjects who were hit by the floods and pleaded for the beneficiaries to make good use of the relief items by desisting from selling them.

The Salvation Army distributed at least two tins of maize, two liters of cooking oil and five kilograms of beans to each the 400 households at the evacuation camp.

“Let me urge you all that these food staff’s are not for sale because you have received them for free hence they are for your family’s consumption,” Said Banda.

However, while in the process of distribution of the relief food items, a team of Redcross suddenly also arrived at the camp with about twelve bales of chipeloni blankets and cooking pots to distribute to the 400 victims.

After noticing that the Salvation Army had too many bags of maize, beans and cooking oil that would take about two hours to distribute to the victims, the Malawi Redcross through their public relations officer, Felix Washoni asked the Salvation Army to interrupt their distribution exercise.

Washoni there asked Salvation Army to give them time to distribute their few blankets and pots to the victims that they should leave the place in good time a scenario.

This angered Tulombolombo of the Salvation Army who furiously refused to bow to their plea.

“This is not a competition, it is a charity work and you have found us at the camp distributing our items so why can’t you just wait for us to finish our already started work? What you are doing is a clear indication that you are proud of yourself,” said the seemingly angry Tulombolombo.

Tulombolombo further came to a resolution that he put on hold the distribution exercise until the next day to pave way for their counterparts.

The situation that angered the beneficiaries who in turn opted for the food items to the empty Redcross pots and blankets.

Speaking to one of the victims (name withheld), said, “we better receive the food items first than blankets because we have nothing to eat so for us to wait until tomorrow (Wednesday) will not be good for us because we have already starved enough, it is better than the Redcross should wait until we are done receiving the food.”

“We are disappointed in the Salvation Army for negative conduct towards us, we did not expect you to behave that way because we would have just combined our items and distribute them together,” Said Redcross PRO Washoni in anger.

Although the did not hold water as the salvation army vehemently refused which eventually made the beneficiaries to concentrate on the distribution of the food items by the religious institution turning their heads against the Redcross.