European Union commits €500,000 to humanitarian efforts

The European Union (EU) has committed €500,000 in emergency humanitarian funding to help people affected by Tropical Storm Ana, which recently devastated parts of the Southern Region.

The funds are expected to support Oxfam, which is providing emergency cash assistance to 6,181 affected households with food and other immediate needs.

“The Southern Africa region, including Malawi, is prone to extreme natural hazards like cyclones and droughts,” Head of EU Humanitarian Aid Office for Southern Africa, Alexandre Castellano, has said in a statement announcing the support.

The storm brought heavy rainfall, strong winds and flooding, displacing over 190,000 people and washing away houses, crops and livestock, among others.

Forty-six people are confirmed dead while 18 are missing in the wake of the disaster.

Oxfam Country Director Lingalireni Mihowa said the support from the EU would go a long way in supporting affected people.

“Tropical Storm Ana has had a multidimensional impact on the lives of people in districts affected due to loss of property, food and generally disrupted people’s capabilities to be productive,” Mihowa said

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs requires K72.7 billion to provide comprehensive humanitarian assistance to 993,149 people affected by the storm.

This is contained in the Emergency Response Plan, which his department submitted to President Lazarus Chakwera three weeks ago.