Cholera : EU allocates EUR 540 000 in emergency funding to Malawi

The European Union is providing EUR 540,000 in humanitarian funding to support the fight against the ongoing cholera outbreak in Malawi.

Our humanitarian partner UNICEF will use this funding to address the epidemic through a health operation aiming to reduce the mortality and the spread of the disease. This action will include an emergency water and sanitation component in the affected areas.

The first case of cholera in Malawi was reported in February 2022. An outbreak was declared in March 2022. To-date, 29 districts have reported cholera cases during the current outbreak, with the total of cases reported since the onset of the outbreak standing at over 8,000. Parts of the country were hit hard by two extreme weather events earlier this year (TS Ana and RC Gombe). Malawi is highly vulnerable to serious infrastructural damage caused by heavy rains, cyclones and floods during the rainy season, including critical WASH infrastructure.

Background

The European Union and its Member States are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.

Through the European Commission's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.

For more information, please visit the European Commission's website.