On Thursday afternoon Tropical Cyclone Idai struck land in Mozambique with winds of 160 km/h and dumped over two feet of water on neighbouring Malawi. Heavy rains over the past week had already caused mass flooding and destruction in southeast Africa. Cyclone Idai has been called the deadliest storm of 2019 Heavy rains have been affecting families in Malawi since early March, and Cyclone Idai is making the situation worse. Over 1 million Malawians have been affected by the floods. At least 125,000 people being forced from their homes, and over 500 people have been reported missing. The death tool is expected to climb in the coming days. Due to the increase of floodwaters we are unable to tell the full impact of destruction caused, and the death toll is rising. Many families have fled their homes, but are unsure what they will return to. ShelterBox is sending a team. We expect the support may include emergency ShelterKits to support families who have lost their homes, water filters to help them access clean water, and mosquito nets to protect them from increased risk of insect-borne diseases. Right now, we are talking to our local partners including Rotary to understand the situation. We are making sure we have the people and aid items in place, ready to help families as soon as the flood levels go down. Due to the severity and lack of organizations currently responding in Malawi, our teams are prioritizing the affected Malawian communities.We are continuing to closely monitor the situation in Mozambique, Madagascar and Zimbabwe. Rotary District 5360 has set up a fundraising page so clubs, members and even other individuals or groups can donate. The page will track the money raised by Rotary. Please consider acting now to help families suffering from disaster. As you know, ShelterBox is Rotary's Project Partner in disaster relief, working to ensure that no family is left without shelter. With the ongoing support of Rotary Club's in your district and across Canada we can make a difference. Please consider donating today to ensure no family is left without shelter or safe drinking water. Club's in your district can make a donation online, mail a cheque using this form to our office or encourage members of your district to make a difference. Be sure to mention Rotary District 5360 so we can see our total impact! If you would like any additional resources or information on our response please do not hesitate to reach out. | 
