Cyclone Freddy, which has killed at least 219 people in Malawi and Mozambique since Saturday night and forced 11,000 people from their homes, has prompted Malawi to proclaim a state of calamity.
The declaration of a catastrophe is a component of a call for domestic and international aid for the cyclone victims. Several groups have already begun responding to the request.
Doctors Without Borders has designated medical personnel to help with the management of cyclone casualties, according to Marion Pechayre, head of the organization’s mission in Malawi.
As there have been several mass casualties brought to the hospital, we are helping the ministry of health at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the nation, triage and treat the patients there.
In the southern areas, survivors of washed-away homes claim they are in need of basic essentials.
One of the victims in Blantyre’s hard-hit Chilobwe Township, Daniel Chilonda, stated, “The first one is food. “Furthermore, we require plastic sheets to shield our shelters from rain. where we are also in need of some clean water, soap, and blankets.”
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According to the Malawian government, efforts are being made to help the victims.
The government is contemplating reviewing its 2023–24 budget to assist cyclone victims, according to Sosten Gwengwe, minister of finance, who stated this during a news conference in Blantyre on Tuesday.
“We submitted a budget last week, and I know that lawmakers will be convening again on Monday to resume the discussion,” he added. “I will be appealing with lawmakers to start reexamining our numbers, because we might need to refocus certain priorities since the extent of damage that we have witnessed here is unimaginable,” said the member.
One of the storms with the greatest strength and duration ever observed in the southern hemisphere is Cyclone Freddy.
During the weekend, it made landfall in Mozambique, displacing more than 20,000 people. The storm is reportedly slowly making its way back to Mozambique, according to meteorologists in Malawi.
The chief of Malawi’s meteorological department, Lucy Mtilatila, said that when the cyclone weakens, it makes room for the Congo Air Mass, which will continue to bring rain. “Unfortunately, we’re seeing a chance that rain may stick around in some places all week.”
Even though it’s still raining, rescue and search efforts are still ongoing in the cyclone-affected areas.
