Status: 03/15/2023 1:52 p.m
Cyclone Freddy has killed 263 people in Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique. The tropical storm, which has been raging for more than a month, has left tens of thousands homeless. Aid organizations warn of a new famine.
According to authorities, the extraordinarily long-lasting tropical storm “Freddy” claimed a total of 263 lives in three countries in south-eastern Africa – Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar. Hardest hit is impoverished Malawi, where the Disaster Management Agency reported 225 deaths.
According to official figures, almost 800 people have been injured in the country due to heavy rains, floods and landslides. However, the numbers could be much higher as the transmission of information is currently severely restricted due to damage to the infrastructure.
More than 20,000 people homeless
Rescue workers continued to search for survivors trapped by landslides or cut off from the outside world by flooding. The police and army took part in the operations in the East African country. “The floods are the biggest problem,” said Malawi Red Cross spokesman Felix Washoni. At least 37 people are still missing, according to the authorities.
According to the civil protection agency, more than 20,000 people have become homeless. Some of them found shelter in churches and schools. At one of the shelters, 24-year-old Alabu Wiseman said he was still looking for four relatives. “You’re covered in mud.”
Thousands of people were housed in temporary camps, according to the authority. Aid organizations fear that the cholera cases will rise sharply again, especially in the south, after the cholera outbreak, which has been ongoing for a year and is the largest in Malawi’s history to date, has not yet been overcome.
An injured man is carried across a makeshift bridge in the town of Blantyre, Malawi.
Image: dpa
People persevere on roofs
The government has declared a state of emergency for the hardest hit region, southern Malawi. “The destruction is enormous,” said Red Cross spokesman Washoni. It is a big challenge to reach those who are stuck because of destroyed bridges and increased water levels. “We found people in trees, on rooftops and on higher ground,” Washoni said.
The cyclone has wreaked havoc in south-east Africa for the second time in a month since late Friday evening. According to rescue workers, at least 21 people have died and at least 24 have been injured in Mozambique since the weekend. At least 17 people were also killed in the island nation of Madagascar.
“Freddy” throws Malawi back by years
According to Welthungerhilfe, poor Malawi in particular has been set back years in development by the cyclone. The country is very dependent on agriculture and rainfall and is therefore particularly susceptible to extreme weather, explained the program manager of the organization in the Southeast African country, Claudia Plock. “The floods have destroyed entire crops,” she said. “The people affected have lost everything.”
Even before the storm, the food situation was very tense, explained the program manager. Around 7.3 million people are unable to feed themselves adequately, and almost 40 percent of children under the age of five are chronically undernourished. “The country is currently in the so-called ‘lean period’, the lean period between harvests,” said Plock. “The families are living from hand to mouth during this time and the next harvest has been eagerly awaited for this month.”
Many homes were destroyed by the cyclone. People are trying to salvage parts of the buildings.
Image: dpa
Longest-lasting cyclone on record
More than a month ago, on February 6th, the tropical storm formed off the northwest coast of Australia and was declared a cyclone. After crossing the entire southern Indian Ocean, “Freddy” first made landfall in Madagascar on February 21. From there the storm moved on to Mozambique and returned in a rare “loop” path across the Indian Ocean with even greater force and rain. On March 11, he reached Mozambique and Malawi for the second time.
According to the World Weather Organization (WMO), the storm, which has been raging for more than a month, is likely to be the longest-lasting cyclone since weather records began. “Freddy” was declared a cyclone on February 6. According to forecasts, the storm is likely to head out to sea again over the course of the week, weakening as it does so. Southern Africa is currently in cyclone season which can bring rain and severe storms through March or April.