The CBM-UK has provided this update related to the brothers and sisters in Malawi and Mozambique who recently have been affected by a cyclone and subsequent storm.

 

Cyclone Ana – further news

Since our initial update about the effect of flooding and then Storm Ana on our brothers and sisters in Malawi, we have received an update which now puts the number of those in need of welfare aid at over 2,800 people.

To put this into context for our community, the Southern Region is where 150 of the 172 Malawian Ecclesias are based (with a membership of approximately 8,000). The Malawian Area Elders have requested food aid from CBM Welfare for around a third of all our members in Malawi from 111 different ecclesias.

The country continues to suffer with power cuts, which is having a knock-on effect as we try and send funds. Numerous camps have been set up to house 20,000 Malawians who have been displaced by the flood waters. We know of one displaced sister in one of these temporary camps, whose 3-year-old child has died this week, as the family had not eaten for days. Many roads remain impassable, only serving to hamper rescue and relief efforts further. The personal devastation this disaster has caused is truly terrible.

We have also had further reports of damage done in Mozambique caused by Tropical Storm Ana and a week of heavy rainfall. The provinces of Nampula, Zambezia, Tete have been affected in particular but also Niasa and Sofala provinces. In Mozambique twelve Thousand homes, 756 schools, 26 Health centres, 2,275 km of roads and bridges, have been damaged. 180,800 people have been affected, 207 injured, 38 killed. Many roofs of brothers and sisters have been blown off, and some walls have collapsed. Many fields of maize have been washed away. The river Shire which flooded affecting Malawi has also flooded Mozambique, as has the Zambezi river.

We ask God to put His loving arms around all those without food and  shelter at this time, while so many try so desperately to help.

The Tropical Storm Batsirai which followed closely on the heels of Storm Ana has avoided mainland Africa, which was an answer to prayers, but Madagascar was still caught in its path, and the island has sadly suffered further devastation for the second time in just over a week.

Please keep our brothers and sisters in East Africa in your prayers, and may we thank you all once again for your ongoing support of CBM Welfare which allows us to respond to such disasters. As climate change continues to have the greatest impact on the poorest countries in the world, sadly these signs of the times will become more frequent. The only solution is our Lord’s soon return, for which we all pray earnestly.

For more information on the original Storm Ana: Storm Ana kills dozens in Malawi, Madagascar and Mozambique – BBC News