The death toll from Cyclone Freddy in Southeast Africa rises to more than 460

The unusually long-lived cyclone “Freddy” killed more than 460 people in Southeast Africa. In Malawi alone, “more than 500,000 people” were affected by the storm, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA) said on Friday. The “record-breaking weather conditions” hit Malawi at the end of the rainy season, “when rivers and other bodies of water were already at high levels,” it said.

In six days, “Freddy” brought as much rainfall to southern Malawi as it normally would in six months, leaving a trail of devastation. More than 183,000 people have been left homeless by flooding and landslides, according to OCHA. More than 300 emergency shelters have been set up.

Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera said during a visit to the disaster area that his government expects “the picture of destruction and death will get worse” once access to more areas becomes possible. The army and police continued to search for the dead on Friday.

Call for international assistance

Local World Food Program (WFP) director Paul Turnbull said the country needs “significant aid”. Chakwera called for international help. The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, warned Malawi’s ongoing cholera outbreak could be exacerbated by the aftermath of the cyclone.

“Freddy” had already hit the region in late February, but initially caused only minor damage in Malawi. The cyclone then returned with even more force and more rain in a rare “loop path” over the Indian Ocean.

A total of 463 people have died as a result of “Freddy”: 360 in Malawi, 86 in Mozambique and 17 in Madagascar. (aeg/sda/afp)