Tropical Cyclone Idai hit southern Malawi earlier this month, with the districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje being hit the hardest. We need to raise £10,000 to provide food, shelter and medicines to the families that we work with in these regions. Strong winds and widespread flooding have destroyed infrastructure, wiped away crops, caused loss of life and affected an estimated 2.6 million people in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The aftermath of these floods will be felt through 2019 and well into 2020. The initial emergency response is being led by the Disasters Emergency Committee and their member charities but there is an important role that Open Arms will play in providing extended and specific support to the vulnerable families that we work with in some of the remote locations that have been struck. Last week Mrs Phiri and Kondwandi travelled to Chikwawa and Nsanje to make an assessment of eight families living where flood damage is most severe. We have so far reached six of