By Patrick Jana
UN agencies are working to provide relief and assistance to millions of people affected by Cyclone Freddy, which has devastated Malawi and Mozambique. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that millions of children are at risk due to the cholera outbreaks that have been exacerbated by the storm’s damage.
The cyclone has caused flooding, mudslides, and other catastrophic effects, resulting in loss of life, displacement, and damage to infrastructure and social services in both countries. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has released $5.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to assist people affected by the cyclone in Malawi, where the toll of floods and mudslides in the country’s southern region continues to rise.
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), in the office of the President and Cabinet, reports that as of Monday, 20th March 2023, the number of displaced people is at 508,244, with 534 camps set up to accommodate them. The death toll has risen to 499, with 1,332 injuries, and 427 people are reported missing.
The Malawi Defence Force (MDF), the Malawi Police Service (MPS), and the United Kingdom search and rescue teams continue their operations. The MDF is airlifting relief items, medical supplies, and personnel to places not accessible by road. Additionally, helicopters dispatched by the governments of Tanzania and Zambia are airlifting relief assistance to inaccessible areas and transporting people in need of medical attention from affected districts to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH).
Protection is a top priority, given the heightened risks caused by the storm and displacement, including trauma, gender-based violence, child separation, and trafficking. The national interagency assessment team is working to support affected councils with assessments to establish the total number of affected people and their immediate needs.
During a visit to flood-ravaged communities on 16 March, UN Resident Coordinator for Malawi, Rebecca Adda-Dontoh, pledged UN support, saying that “the destruction and suffering that I witnessed in southern Malawi is the human face of the global climate crisis.” She called on the international community to stand in solidarity with the people of Malawi at this tragic time.
Following the declaration of a state of disaster by His Excellency the President, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, foreign missions, governments, local and international organizations, companies, and individuals of goodwill continue providing various support towards TCF response operations. The situation remains dire, and the UN agencies urge the international community to support their efforts in aiding those affected by Cyclone Freddy.
