SA church pleads for help for Malawi flood victims

The Mahikeng Ministers Fellowship (MMF) has on Saturday urged people to provide humanitarian aid and to pray for the people of Malawi, who were displaced by floods.

"We call on the church, the business sector and individuals to support efforts to curb potential spread of water borne diseases and starvation of those displaced by the catastrophe," said the interdenominational pastors fellowship (MMF), chairman Apostle Zandisile Reginald Mpame.

German press agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported that floods have killed at least 170 people in Malawi over the past week.

Officials said the death toll had earlier been given as 48. It rose after villagers in the southern district of Nsanje were swept away by swelling rivers.

The floods have left an estimated 100,000 people homeless in the southern African country.

Meteorologists warned that rains could continue for days.

Mpame said that according to Mozambican news agency AIM,, the flood had also killed about 38 other people in the neighbouring country and had displaced thousands of others.

He said although South African National Defence Force troops were deployed to the region, there were still an insufficient amount of resources being sent, he said.

MMF said it would announce on Monday, after it finalised partnership agreement protocols, where resources could be donated.

"MMF is to announce where bottled water, clothing, plastic wrapped foodstuff like beans, soup and canned food could be placed in donation boxes," said Mpame.

South African aid group Gift of the Givers has distributed numerous relief parcels to families in Malawi that were displaced by floods.

The parcels contained staple food, blankets, eating utensils, water purification tablets and plastic sheets, the organisation's founder Imtiaz Sooliman said on Saturday.

The parcels, worth R500 each, were distributed since Friday.

Sooliman said Malawi was probably facing the "greatest flood disaster in the history of its existence".

The Malawi defence force has already rescued more than 4000 people with the fear that many more are trapped in inaccessible areas."

Massive destruction to agriculture, roads, bridges and infrastructure including power facilities has complicated the situation due to prolonged power outages, said Sooliman.

There were also concerns of a cholera outbreak and other water-borne diseases as there was no clean drinking water, and the sewerage was contaminated.

Sooliman said tropical Cyclone Chedza was also expected to hit Malawi on Sunday.

"It is expected to be far more destructive than Cyclone Bansi bringing more heavy rains and greater flooding," said Sooliman.