EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND - CYCLONE FREDDY IN MALAWI

Dear Donors,

with this periodic report we would like to update all of you on the really dramatic disaster that Malawi has to face: on March 13^th Cyclone Freddy has hit the Country, the longest-lasting storm on record since its arrival in southern Africa in late February.

In Malawi more than 11,000 people have been affected and Mangochi District (the area where Aleimar operates since 2014) is the second District of the Country for the number of victims and devastation. During the past years some areas of Malawi had been hit by the heavy rain, while this year the whole Country has been involved and the damage is immense: people have lost everything, their huts have been destroyed, bridges have collapsed, crops fields have been completely flooded and mud has covered houses and every means of production. Schools have been closed and it is still difficult to move around the Country.

Large amounts of water, that in many cases is stagnant and sewerage, have caused spread of infectious diseases such as cholera epidemics. The country was already fighting against one of the most severe cholera epidemics of the past decades and unfortunately in Mangochi District there are more than half of the cases registered in the whole Malawi.

The devastation of fields will lead to the huge reduction of crops, increasing food insecurity and the risk of malnutrition mainly among children. At the moment an estimated 4.8 million children, one in two children in the country, are in humanitarian need. Because a severely malnourished child is 11 times more likely to die of cholera than a well-nourished child, a cholera outbreak such as the current one may lead to death sentence for thousands of children in Malawi. Unfortunately, medications are difficult to find or are totally absent and a lot of people be cared.

This emergency situation has pushed our Country Manager Angela to anticipate the periodic monitoring trip to Malawi and last month she has seen with her eyes the condition on the field, which has not been broadcasted by European media. It is hard to witness this catastrophic event and the feeling of fear and experienced by whole families. The efforts of the local population to recover are relevant, but we can report the lack of economic resources and an active resolution strategy.

The main issue in the Mangochi District is lack of food, shelters and clean water (which in turn is one of the main factors contributing to the spread of cholera). In collaboration with our local Partner, we are providing food aids and pedal pumps to 104 families victims of the cyclone in order to increase food security. We are also supporting the local population building houses and shelters, in order to ensure a safe place where they can live and where children can grow. Now more than ever your precious help is essential!

Thank you!