In the weeks since Tropical Cyclone Bansi, Malawi has continued to suffer from severe flooding. The President of Malawi, Peter Mutharika, has declared half of the country a disaster zone and continued to request aid from NGOs and other governments alike. With 638,000 people affected and many still unaccounted for, the damage of the flooding is still to be determined. However, the Malawi government estimates the monetary cost of damage to be 46 million dollars.
The rainy season in Malawi typically begins in late October or early November and continues into February. Each year flooding causes issues for Malawi as a result of poor infrastructure to deal with the rainy season along with the effects of deforestation. Long term watershed management is needed desperately in Malawi to prevent disasters of this magnitude in the future. Still, this year’s flooding is the “worst flooding in living memory” according to the United Nations, and it is expected to continue raining in much of Malawi for at least the next week. 
Before major infrastructure changes can occur, Malawi will need help recovering from this year’s disaster. Many crops and homes have been washed away entirely, leaving displaced families with no home or livelihood to return too even once the flooding ends. Others still, are stranded or in displacement camps which are desperately in need of more supplies. Helicopters and boats are required to rescue people who have sought high ground and been surrounded by water. Medicine, tents, clean water, and food are needed for those people who have been rescued and placed in camps.
Approximately 200 camps for displaced people have been created since flooding began and the UN World Food Program is struggling to provide food to those in camps. This week, the WFP announced it would be scaling-up its response efforts, trying to reach an additional 160,000 people but is seeking an additional $21 million to do so. Many other NGOs are on the ground, responding to the crisis. Many have alleged that the withholding of funds to the Malawi government following the Cashgate scandal has slowed the response effort. The Preliminary Response Plan created by the government and aid agencies has been budgeted at $81 million, only a quarter of which has been received.
With the help of the international community, the people of Malawi are struggling to survive the flooding. Many people have lost family and friends as well a livestock and property. Still, others have found strength in the support of their neighbors and the world at large. There is much to be done and Malawian determination and resilience are being tested yet again. Our thoughts are with them and we will continue to raise funds toward the response through the week: wcfloodresponse.causevox.com
Many sources were used in writing this post:
This post was written by Zoey Ponder and Emily Stallings
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