Seoul, 24 February 2022 (TDI): The government of the Republic of Korea has announced to provide the US $ 300,000 humanitarian aid to three affected African states.
They are Madagascar, Malawi, and Mozambique. Tropical storm Ana hit said states in late January and caused numerous casualties with infrastructure damage.
Tropical Storm Ana brought powerful winds and severe rainfall to Madagascar, Mozambique, and Malawi, killing approximately 80 people across the borders.
In recent years, the region has been regularly hit by strong storms and cyclones, claiming lives, damaging houses, infrastructure, and crops, and displacing significant numbers of people.
According to the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services, in some cases, the communities that have suffered are still recuperating from earlier catastrophes, which have exacerbated the damage.
While Storm Idai in 2019 was a tropical cyclone, Ana is not that one. Rather, it is a moderate tropical storm, although Idai received 150 mm of rain in 24 hours, whereas Ana received 250 mm or more in 24 hours.
The tropical storm Ana battered Malawi’s Southern and Central Districts on Monday, January 24 and delivering high winds and heavy rainfall. Catastrophic floods wiped away towns in a couple of hours.
Some of the places impacted by Ana were already experiencing flooding as a result of the continuing rainy season. According to the Government of Malawi – Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), 46 persons have been confirmed dead.
While 18 were missing, and 206 wounded, with 221,127 homes (more than 945,728 people, swollen rivers drowned cattle and swamped farmland, ruining rural communities’ livelihoods) impacted so far.
According to reports, at least 115,388 hectares of crops have been damaged. Roughly 228 school buildings were damaged, leaving over 114,218 students without access to education.
However, access to some of the impacted communities remains difficult due to the poor state of many of the roads. Access to some of the affected areas remains difficult due to the wretched state of many of the roads.
The floods have displaced about 190,429 persons (32,935 families), who are residing in 178 relocation camps. Displaced households are presently seeking shelter in designated camps, churches, schools, and other public institutions. The area near Mulanje in Southern Malawi was very hard hit.
Role of Malawi Red Cross Society
Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) has supported the Malawi government in reacting to the crisis. MRCS has undertaken and will continue to undertake a number of interventions, including monitoring the situation.
Moreover, it will assist in coordinating with stakeholders, disseminating early warning messages and other anticipatory actions as advised by the DCCMS and other relevant sources of alerts, conducting needs assessments, and prioritizing response options for affected communities.
Humanitarian Aid by the Republic Of Korea
By keeping the deteriorated and woeful situation due to tropical storm Ana, the government of ROK decided to provide US $ 300,000 to Madagascar, Mozambique, and Malawi.
The Republic of Korea’s humanitarian assistance to Madagascar, Malawi, and Mozambique is intended to help citizens in impacted regions quickly restore normalcy to their lives and recover from the damage.
