The US$550’000 assistance is part of Switzerland’s assistance to help the people of Malawi in collaboration with the Government to recover from Tropical Cyclone Freddy and the cholera emergency.

Through these grants, split equally between the Swiss Red Cross and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – Switzerland will partner with the Government of Malawi to deliver urgently needed health and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) supplies and protection.  

In southern Malawi and other districts affected by cholera, Switzerland is partnering the Swiss Red Cross to bolster WASH services, including the deployment of a Swiss expert in the sector to provide technical support through a secondment arrangement.

Switzerland is also partnering UNICEF to provide lifesaving essential drugs and supplies to reduce the suffering of vulnerable populations (especially women and children) from diseases associated with lack of proper shelter, health services, poor nutrition as well as lack of access to clean and safe water. UNICEF will also provide helpline service awareness and feedback sessions in displacement centres and deliver a minimum package of protection services for women and children.  

The grants support come in response to President H.E. Lazarus Chakwera’s declaration of disaster and the United Nations’ flash appeal for funding for assistance to Malawians affected by flooding and cholera.

"Switzerland is committed to supporting the people of Malawi during these difficult times," said the Swiss Ambassador, Stéphane Rey. "We are committed to working with the Swiss Red Cross, UNICEF and the Government of Malawi to meet the immediate health and protection needs of vulnerable Malawians, reduce suffering, and ensure families especially children cope with the negative effects brought about by Tropical Cyclone Freddy," he added.

In addition to providing humanitarian assistance, Switzerland supports a food security and resilience programme that enables smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change through access to weather-based insurance, livelihoods diversification, microcredit, and savings. Besides, Switzerland recently signed and has started implementing a bilateral climate protection agreement with Malawi that seeks to reduce the impact of climate change among ordinary people. Switzerland is further working in Malawi with other partners to reduce new HIV infections among young people.