ADB approves grant to aid flood victims

The African Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US $500,000 grant for emergency relief support for flood victims in Malawi. “The objective of the humanitarian relief assistance is to alleviate the suffering of the victims of the 2001 floods in the southern and central districts of Malawi. It specifically seeks to prevent loss of human life and maintain the nutritional status of the displaced population in the seven most-hit areas affected by the flood namely, the districts of Chikwawa, Machinga, Mangochi, Nsanje, Phalombe and Zomba districts in the South Region, and Salima in the Central Region,” an ADB statement said. The ADB said the money would be used to procure, transport, and distribute 1,709 mt of food items. “The food basket will provide at least 1,900 kilo calories of energy per person per day, with children, particularly the under-five being properly fed,” the statement said.