Photo Credit; Thoko Chikondi, Assosiated Press
19 March 20223
By Vincent G. Malunga
Many of you would have already seen various ghastly images and video clips of scenes of flooding and devastation from Malawi on the news or social media emanating from the wake of Cyclone Freddy that originated from the Mozambican channel of the Indian ocean and swept across Mozambique and into Malawi and parts of Southern Africa. Freddy has created a trail of destruction evocative of the invective and relentless Freddy Kruger of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies fame.
Damage ranges from:
Loss lives (well over 300 by some counts)
Swept away homes and shelter
Sink holes on roads
Broken bridges
Flooded crop fields
Loss of livestock
Disruption to school and work attendance
And others
This has come at a time when Malawi is already struggling to cope with economic hardships that were compounded by a 25% devaluation in 2021 that has since fuelled inflation and its pervasive and distortionary income redistributive effects, whose brunt the poorest bear the most.
The country of over 20 million inhabitants, over 80% of whom (by some metrics), are still classified as poor by global standards, is reeling from the atrocious havoc Freddy has wreaked and is in dire need of help at all levels of society as its public disaster management mechanisms cannot cope.
The underlying causes for the physical damage caused include, among others:
Poor town planning
Unauthorised settlements in dangerous areas
Disregard for flood plains in construction
Uncompliant and unapproved building plans
Poor construction materials and techniques
Corruption
Various others
Undoubtedly, the country needs assistance from the international community to cope and rise from the muddy waters churned by Freddy.
There is a wide range of ways that individuals, corporates, NGOs, and governments can assist or donate including but
not limited to:
Cash donations
Tents for shelters and building materials
Camp beds, chairs, and kitchen utensils
Renewable energy solutions
Clothes and blankets
Unperishable foods
Sanitary products
Medicines and medical equipment
School materials
Various other home use products
There are already various key players setting up the capability and lead for activities to raise relief assistance to be sent to Malawi. For example, The Association for Malawians in South Africa, The Gift of the Givers, and the Lush Africa Foundation have all embarked on this noble endeavour. It is important that as many groupings as possible join the cause in various ways and collaborate where appropriate.
The key is speed, something parallel delivery rather than monolithic bureaucracy delivers much better. What the unfortunate and hapless victims do not have is time – they are homeless, hungry, without clothing and blankets, and illness is already setting in. It is thus imperative that everyone who can take initiative jump in to assist.
As Veronica Roth once said:
It is when you’re acting selflessly that you are at your bravest.
The Diplomatic Informer implores the international community in South Africa and fellow South Africans to mobilise their lot and do their part to assist Malawi in its hour of great need.