The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is asking international humanitarian donors for USD 3.15 million to help the people of Malawi impacted by Cyclone Idai last month.
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The appeal is to assist IOM teams in Malawi to reach an estimated 110,110 targeted individuals through the end of September 2019.
In early March, a severe weather system formed off the eastern coast of Mozambique and struck Malawi with heavy rain and strong winds.
The system further intensified into Cyclone Idai and made landfall in Malawi on 14-15 March, which led to severe flooding across Malawi’s southern districts.
According to the Government of Malawi’s figures, more than 868,900 people have been affected, including more than 86,980 displaced, with 60 deaths and 672 injuries recorded.
In total, fifteen districts in southern Malawi have been impacted.
IOM is appealing for USD 1.65 Million for Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI), USD 750,000 for Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) and USD 750,000 for teams from IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM).
Site assessments conducted by IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) teams in the four districts with the highest displacements, Zomba, Nsanje, Chikwawa, and Phalombe from 25 March to 6 April 2019, recorded that 110,110 individuals (24,887 households) have been displaced throughout 103 sites.
Almost all displacement sites are collective centers, where populations fled to existing structures such as churches or schools and are sheltering in and around these buildings.
However, living conditions are quickly deteriorating, due to overcrowding and the lack of access to basic services.
With agriculture being the main source of livelihood for the rural population in Malawi, the heavy rains and floods have impacted agricultural activities.
As fields are inundated, recently planted crops have been destroyed.
Some districts are already reporting food insecurity.
According to DTM assessments, the primary need for displaced people is food, followed by shelter.
IOM recognizes that camps are the last resort, and notes that even now populations report the desire to return home.
Only the lack of shelter remains their primary barrier.
IOM is a member of the Shelter/ NFI / CCCM cluster, led by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and the Malawi Red Cross.
IOM has been the main partner in CCCM activities since the 2015 floods and has worked closely with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) to provide capacity building at national and regional level.
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