£30,000 to support flood victims in Southern Africa

The Methodist Church in Great Britain is sending asolidarity grant of £30,000 to Methodist Churches in SouthernAfrica to provide support for flood victims.

Flooding of the River Zambezi has destroyed homes, submerged cropsand left thousands of people in Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe indesperate need of help. Many have been made homeless and there arewidespread outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and dysentery.Children in affected areas are no longer able to receive educationand more than 80% of crops have been washed away.

Kevin Fray, World Church Officer for Africa, says; 'Many are awareof the desperate levels of poverty and deprivation that alreadyexist in this area of the world, and the flooding has only madethis worse. Those who already faced difficult circumstances intheir day to day lives have seen their homes and livelihoods sweptaway. We hope that this grant goes some way toward alleviatingtheir suffering.'

The churches will use the money to provide shelter, food, cleanwater, clothing and other types of support for those whose liveshave been devastated by the flooding.