Scottish Government provides £400,000 to help people in Malawi following storm Ana

The Scottish Government is providing £400,000 to help people in Malawi who were forced to flee their homes in the wake of severe flooding caused by tropical storm Ana.

The money, which is being given to the British Red Cross to support the charity’s work in the area, will help meet some of the immediate needs of those affected by the disaster.

But cash will also go towards helping communities rebuild and to improving future resilience.

It comes after the tropical storm destroyed homes and crops in the African nation, leaving 680,000 people in need of aid.

The storm struck towards the end of January, with Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi all affected by the high winds and torrential rain.

The Malawi government declared a state of disaster in 15 separate districts on January 26 but the situation could worsen, as the country continues to suffer rain and stormy weather, resulting in further flooding.

Speaking about the donation, international development minister Neil Gray said: “Scotland has strong links with Malawi and we are working closely with the government there to provide what they need to recover from this crisis and strengthen their resilience to future shocks.

“This support is part of the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment as a good global citizen to respond to humanitarian emergencies across the world.”

Marie Hayes, the British Red Cross’ Scotland director, said: “Tropical Storm Ana destroyed homes and crops, leaving 680,000 people in need of life-saving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance.

“Thanks to this generous donation from the Scottish Government, we will be able to support the Malawi Red Cross to deliver immediate help to the people there who need it most.”