"Fatigued by existing merely, yearning for resurgence: Life post Cyclone Freddy in Malawi"
In March 2023, Cyclone Freddy, one of the most energetic ever recorded, roared across southern Malawi, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Many villages, such as Phalombe, Nkhulambe, Chilobwe, and Manje, were severely impacted.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) launched large-scale relief and recovery operations in the aftermath of the cyclone. WFP country director for Malawi, Hyoung-Joon Lim, states that WFP provided food assistance to over 550,000 people through "in-kind food and cash transfers." However, aid, according to some villagers, was distributed sporadically and stopped coming altogether months after the cyclone, with some only receiving two 10kg bags of maize in two years.
The Malawi government, through DoDMA, has been working with partner organizations to respond to the disaster. Progress has been slow due to inadequate funds, with only about 64,500 of the estimated 659,000 displaced individuals having been relocated. Sosten Chiotha, a climatologist, warns that more storms are coming and may be worse, and that human decisions like deforestation, unplanned settlements, and farming on steep slopes are making things worse.
The cyclone has caused long-term damage to the land, making it difficult for food to grow and pests like fall armyworms to thrive. Mary Likopa, a widow, returned to her cyclone-damaged dwelling due to lack of resources, despite it being in a disaster-prone zone. Likopa's grandson, Wisdom, suffers from untreated malaria and she survives on piecemeal work, earning about USD 1.50 a day.
The most important international aid organizations active in Malawi after Cyclone Freddy included the Red Cross, UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), and the World Food Programme. These organizations provided emergency medical care, food aid, clean water, shelter, and sanitation services.
Pastor David Chigamba, representing survivors in Chilobwe, criticizes the government for neglect and promises of relocation not being fulfilled. Village headman Nkhulambe calls for the provision of hoes and seeds to help farmers rebuild themselves as the rainy season approaches.
Climatologist Friederike Otto suggests that climate change probably increased the likelihood of Cyclone Freddy and the amount of rainfall during the event. The recent USAID funding pause is likely to have worsened the situation, as the US has been a major donor to WFP programs. MWK 6.2 billion (USD 3.5 million) was mobilized for recovery operations, with MWK 1.6 billion (USD 900,000) coming from the Malawi government.
However, only 40% of the pledged recovery funds have been disbursed, according to a senior DoDMA official. The cyclone resulted in over 1,200 deaths and economic damage estimated at over USD 500 million. As the nation rebuilds, the hope is that lessons will be learned and measures will be taken to mitigate the impact of future disasters.
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