ECM Set Aside 31 Jan, 8 Feb Collections Towards Flood Victims As the Church, UN Continue Appealing for More Help

ECM Set Aside 31 Jan, 8 Feb Collections Towards Flood Victims As the Church, UN Continue Appealing for More Help

The Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) to dedicate all collections for AMECEA Thanks Giving Mass collection on 31st January and set aside Sunday 8th February 2015 a special day for collections towards the help of flood victims of all the affected 15 districts.

In a letter expressing dismay over the tragic consequences of the heavy rains since the onset of the first rains and solidarity message to the victims, the Church has also appealed to all well wishers to help the affected victims of floods. 

“Our Brothers and Sisters who have been affected by this national disaster, require immediate assistance for them to continue living a dignified life” reads the letter signed by Arch Bishop Thomas Msusa Chairman for ECM addressed to the church, all people of good will, companies and organizations

“In the spirit of solidarity we the Catholic Bishops in Malawi, call upon catholic faithful and all people of Goodwill to join hands and contribute generously”

“Inspired by the gospel values of our Lord; “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me” (Mt 25:35-36) we Catholic Bishops in Malawi are inviting priests, religious and the faithful to set aside Sunday 8th February 2015, as a special day for collections towards this noble cause” 

The letter says people can donate cash or basic needs like food (non perishable), kitchen utensils clothes, water, shelter, blankets and many other items and instructed that all items collected at the parish should be brought to the Bishop’s House by Saturday 14th February 2015 for records and forwarding to the affected people.

The letter also urged people to contribute through mobile phones either on Airtel or TNM by sending an SMS ‘Floods’ or ‘Pepani’ to 50121 where each SMS shall cost K100 “it is more blessed to gve than to receive (Acts 20:35)“ reminded the Bishops.

The Malawi President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika declared  Sunday 8th February which the Catholic Church has set aside as a special day for collections towards assisting flood victims as a Day for National Prayers for the victims of these floods.

An estimated 361,181 people (66,945 households) have been affected with 121,000 (22,000 households) displaced and over 70 people died and hundreds missing.

Similarly a group of United Nations human rights experts in GENEVA on 30 January 2015, has urged the international community to rapidly provide all necessary funding and assistance to the Government of Malawi and humanitarian actors in response to some of the worst flooding in the country in living memory. 

The statement from UN office in Malawi says the experts urged that assistance is needed to confront massive and complex challenges, “The flooding has displaced large numbers of people and presents massive and complex challenges for Governments and their humanitarian allies in the short, medium and longer-term,” said UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons Chaloka Beyani.

According to the statement, Léo Heller, Special Rapporteur on the human right to water and sanitation said “Safe water, sanitation and hygiene must be provided urgently for the survival of those affected, prioritizing the most vulnerable groups, but also for the prevention of water-related diseases such as cholera and malaria". An estimated USD 3.4 million is needed to respond to urgent healthcare needs and to prevent and control outbreaks of disease.

The statement adds that the experts also praised the Government leadership for responding quickly to the crisis and welcomed the immediate response by several countries and humanitarian agencies in providing funding and aid. However they called on others within the international community to do everything possible to meet the current serious shortfall in funds and provision of essential aid.