adminBLANTYRE. – The death toll from Cyclone Freddy in Malawi has risen to 507, with another 1,332 people injured, according to latest figures released yesterday.
The deadly cyclone has displaced more than half a million people in the country, the UN said as it warned of soaring humanitarian needs.
Cyclone Freddy dumped SIX months’ worth of rainfall on southern Malawi in SIX days, with floods and mudslides sweeping away homes, roads and bridges in a record-breaking deluge.
Another 150 have died in its path, in other southern African countries, since the end of February, UN agency data shows.
“Nearly 508,250 people have been displaced and, at least, 499 killed” by the flooding in Malawi, the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said.
“Heavy rains, strong winds, and floods attributed to the cyclone have had a devastating toll on the people across 14 districts – nearly half the country – with at least 1,300 people injured and 427 missing according to authorities.”
Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with over 1,000 people evacuated, and more than 500 emergency shelters have been opened, it said.
“Those affected are in dire need of urgent humanitarian support with the most immediate needs being shelter, food, clean water, sanitation and hygiene, health, and protection”, it added.
The country was already battling its deadliest cholera outbreak on record when the storm landed.
The epidemic has killed more than 1 700 people.
“The people of Malawi are facing yet another catastrophic disaster with a potential long-lasting effect. It is important that we urgently reach the affected communities as the needs grow by the hour”, the IOM said.
The country’s disaster management agency also gave an update yesterday.
“The number of reported missing persons has increased to 537 from 427.”
In an address to lawmakers in the capital Lilongwe, President Lazarus Chakwera urged all parties to “put aside politics and join hands” to help citizens rebuild their lives.
He also called for efforts to draw up a law to bolster disaster management and preparedness in Malawi.
Catherine Gotani Hara, speaker of the National Assembly, termed the impact of Cyclone Freddy “a disaster of unimaginable proportion.”
“The impact goes far beyond the terrible loss of human life,” she said, stressing the need for swift relief and rehabilitation operations.
The cyclone has also impacted Mozambique, where at least 76 people have died and more than 33,000 houses were destroyed. – www.enca.com/www.aa.com/tr
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