Items filtered by date: May 2025

Lilongwe April 21 Mana: In response to President Lazarus Chakwera’s declaration of disaster and the United Nation’s flash appeal for funding for assistance to Malawians affected by flooding and cholera, the United States Government has announced a new grant to address immediate humanitarian needs.

US Ambassador to Malawi, David Young made the announcement on Thursday in Lilongwe indicating that the new $4 million (4.1 billion MWK)  grant is part of the U.S government’s ongoing assistance valued at approximately $5 million (more than 5.1 billion MWK) during the country’s recovery from the devastating impacts of Tropical Cyclone Freddy and the Cholera emergency.

The U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with the Government of Malawi through the grants given to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will deliver urgently needed shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) suppliers.

“USAID will partner with WFP to provide life-saving food assistance and urgent helicopter support to airlift medical supplies, and other relief items to communities and medically evacuate patients still cut off by flood waters an exercise that targets 142,000 Malawians,” he said.

Young added that USAID’s partnership with UNICEF will bolster WASH services in both Southern Malawi and other areas affected by cholera and will also promote safe hygiene practices through radio and phone.

“UNICEF will rehabilitate broken water and sanitation facilities in health facilities and schools, giving approximately 90,000 people access to safe water and will also help learners return safely to school by providing soap, clean water, buckets and promoting hygiene in schools and in surrounding communities, “  he said.

According to Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) currently in the process of producing a post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report, the cyclone affected more than 2,514,910 people, displaced over 659,000, with 676 deaths, 537 missing and 2,286 injured.

According to a statement released by Minister of Health, Khumbize kandodo Chiponda, the cumulative cholera confirmed cases and deaths reported since the onset of the outbreak is 58,027 and 1,740 respectively with case fatality rate at 3.0 percent.

The statement also says a total of 56,206 people have recovered with 81 currently in the treatment centers.

The U.S government which is Malawi`s longtime partner has already been working in many of the communities affected by Cyclone Freddy responding to pressing humanitarian needs.

USAID has also been supporting the nation to recover through existing projects in health, education and economic growth.

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 Vendors plying their business at Zomba City Market have expressed concern over uncollected garbage by the city council which they say poses a big threat to their heath. According to one of the vendors, Mphatso Kachala, the city council takes time to collect garbage, to the extent that the refuse starts producing a bad smell,” he added. Zomba City Council 

Mchinji District Council Chairperson Musha White has called on organisations in the country to support the council’s efforts to restore forests through tree planting. He made the call at Mchinji Secondary School on Wednesday, when he launched the district forestry season. White urged Mchinji residents to take good care of the planted trees, saying tree planting on its own cannot bring back depleted forests.

Power Market Limited (PML) says diversified power technology has potential to improve the current electricity power generation capacity in the power sector besides balancing the supply-demand balance which the organisation says is a big challenge in the country. In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA), PML’s Director of Marketing and Corporate Services, Villant Jana said bringing wind..

On Monday, February 13, 2023, I visited the M05 road project that the Chakwera-led administration is rehabilitating. The 60 km road project, which begins from Kaphatenga in Salima to some kilometers after Benga in Nkhotakota, is expected to be completed by November 2024. My Ministry through The Roads Authority has contracted China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation for this current phase of work, which will also include the rehabilitation of all bridges along the M05.

The project is expected to not only benefit those traveling along the M05, but also bring greater economic development to local communities by providing more job opportunities and increased access to services. It is encouraging to see the Chakwera-led administration’s commitment to delivering this vital infrastructure project for the benefit of the people of Malawi.

It was sad, however, to note that vandalism of bridges is continuing in the area. The famous Lipsodzi Bridge is being destroyed by villagers who extort cash from motorists under the guise of helping them across the damaged bridge. We have put in place some temporary works on the bridges and places where steel armco culverts were vandalized so that the road is usable. This is a temporary measure until the contractor is able to start major earthworks. I have also instructed the police to make sure that the timber on the repaired bridges is kept secure.

I also inspected the new weighbridge that my ministry is constructing along the M05. It is expected that this bridge will help to minimize road maintenance costs and reduce the risk of accidents related to overloaded trucks.

Lastly, I visited Nkhata Bay Port, which is, unfortunately, in a very bad state. Mota Engil was granted a concession for the port in 2013, with the expectation that they would upgrade and modernize it, as well as handle its management. Sadly, it is evident that not enough progress has been made and the port remains in a state of disrepair, and as Government, we now feel the need to review the concession agreement. My ministry will, thus, work on a plan that will see government repossess all the ports in Malawi including Chipoka that has been closed for 7years now.