Feed the Children Provides Relief to Malawians Hit Hardest by Tropical Cyclone Ana

OKLAHOMA CITY, Feb. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Feed the Children, a leading international nonprofit focused on alleviating childhood hunger, is providing relief to the many Malawi communities devastated by Tropical Cyclone Ana.  As rescue efforts continue across southeastern Africa, hundreds of thousands of families are left without homes, clean water and supplies. Through Feed the Children's office in Malawi, resources are being distributed to support those who need help now.

After Ana made landfall on the Mozambique coast Jan. 24, the historic storm tore through southern Malawi the next day with torrential rains and strong winds causing intense flooding, downed trees and power lines, as well as structural damage. In Malawi, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs says Ana displaced more than 193,000 households (more than 948,000 people) from their homes across 17 districts.

With such a devastating storm, it will take everyone working together to help the affected families. Feed the Children is working with the Nutrition Cluster, co-chaired by the Government of Malawi through the Department of Nutrition & HIV/AIDS and UNICEF, to determine short, mid- and long-term needs as families work to clean and rebuild after the storm. The nonprofit plans to distribute more than 400,000 water purification packets from Proctor & Gamble. These will provide families with safe, clean drinking water. In collaboration with local government and aid groups, Feed the Children will also be distributing more than 50,000 packets of Vitameal donated by Nu Skin, which will reach children under the age of five, lactating mothers and pregnant women. This nutrient-dense food will provide those who have lost everything with a warm meal. Through the nonprofit's disaster response, it is estimated more than 8300 individuals will get the Vitameal support needed, while approximately 80,000 households will benefit from the water purifier support.

"Our staff members in Malawi are diligently working on the ground to make sure the immediate needs of community members are met," said McHenry Makwelero, Director of International Finance Operations & Compliance for Feed the Children in Malawi. "We know that the families affected by Ana need our support now more than ever. With the help of relevant government departments, and other partnering organizations, we can reach suffering children and families with ready-to-eat food and clean water."

Through its international offices, Feed the Children works strategically to engage the local government and community leaders to discuss the true need of the community and to develop a collaborative plan for action. The nonprofit's international relief and development includes short- and long-term programming that helps save lives, alleviates suffering and aims to restore human dignity to sustainably improve the quality of life in the communities it serves.

To learn more about Feed the Children's work in the U.S. and in eight countries, visit feedthechildren.org. 

About Feed the Children

At Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids. We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and communities achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in eight countries. We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships.

Visit feedthechildren.org for more information.

SOURCE Feed the Children