PRESS RELEASE:Save the Children Welcomes £200,000 Scottish Government Funding Towards Cyclone Freddy Response in Malawi

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Save the Children Welcomes £200,000 Scottish Government Funding Towards Cyclone Freddy Response in Malawi

LILONGWE –:Save the Children is delighted to announce £200,000 funding from the Scottish Government towards Cyclone Freddy response in Malawi. The funding not only provides immediate relief for affected families, but also promises a brighter and more secure future for affected children.

The generous contribution will enable Save the Children to meet the needs and well-being of children and families in Cyclone-Freddy-affected areas and provide them with the necessary support for recovery and resilience.

Cyclone Freddy has affected about 1,270,000 children (56% percent of the entire affected population) – making children the worst hit. Children have experiencedtrauma, displacement, loss of loved ones, disrupted access to essential services and have lost everything they ever cherished.

The funding will significantly enhance Save the Children’s ability to provide access to improved Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services, nutrition, healthcare, and psychosocial support. In addition, the charity has intensified efforts to ensure uninterrupted access to education, protection from exploitation and abuse, and family reunification for separated children.

Save the Children recognizes the critical importance of long-term recovery and resilience building for children and their communities. Therefore, a portion of the donated funds will enable unconditional cash transfers, which will help families to rebuild.

With support from Cummins, UNICEF, WFP and Save the Children Humanitarian Fund, Save the Children has so far reached over 10,000 affected children across six affected districts of Nsanje, Chikwawa, Blantyre, Zomba, Mwanza and Neno. The charity’s response initiatives, so far, include distributing clothes and food, providing mobile health services, providing psychosocial support services and ensuring continuity of learning for affected children. 

Save the Children is committed to stay in affected districts as long as it takes to help children and families recover from their losses, restore their lives and build resilience for years to come.

Orlaith Minogue, Senior Conflict and Humanitarian Advocacy Advisor, said: “We applaud the Malawi Government for its leadership, coordination and creating an enabling environment that allows us to support Cyclone Freddy Response. We also acknowledge the invaluable efforts of our dedicated staff, volunteers, and partners who work tirelessly on the ground to ensure the effective implementation of child-focused emergency response programs and interventions.”

“The commitment and generosity of the Scottish Government is a laudable dedication to safeguarding children’s lives and future. Save the Children remains fully committed to transparency and accountability in its operations. We will ensure that every donated pound is utilized efficiently and effectively, with regular updates and reports provided to the Scottish Government and all stakeholders to demonstrate the impact and outcomes of our work.”

For media inquiries and further information, please contact:

John Chipeta - Senior Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media (ACCM) Manager

Save the Children, Malawi Country Office

John.Chipeta@savethechildren.org

Editors Notes:

Save the Children does whatever it takes to be there for children in crisis – as we have for every major humanitarian crisis since World War I. Always at the ready, we are among the first to respond and the last to leave, staying as long as it takes to help children and families recover from their losses, restore their lives and build resilience for years to come.

See our latest Situation Report HERE for more details on how we are responding to Cyclone Freddy.