LUSAKA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Friday flagged off humanitarian aid to help victims of the Tropical Cyclone in neighboring Malawi.
Gabriel Pollen, the national coordinator of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit, who flagged off the departure of the plane carrying the first items at the Zambia Air Force base in Lusaka, the country's capital, said the donation follows a directive by President Hakainde Hichilema, according to the state broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation.
It reported that the donations include food and non-food items, such as maize, chlorine, blankets, and tents for displaced people. The first consignment included five tons of maize and other relief items, and more relief aid will be dispatched by both air and road.
The cyclone has left devastating effects in Malawi with the death toll standing at 326 while the number of people injured and those missing have risen to 796 and 201, respectively.
