ANI
18 Mar 2023, 04:57 GMT+10
Geneva [Switzerland], March 18 (ANI): Tropical Cyclone Freddy has affected over 500,000 people in Southeastern Africa's Malawi, the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Friday as the devastation continues to rise.
In the statement, OCHA said the cyclone has affected over 500,000 people, including at least 326 killed and more than 180,000 displaced.
As flood waters begin to subside, government-led relief efforts are expanding and focusing on reaching displaced people.
Chikwawa, a town in Malawi, is one of the districts with the highest number of displaced people, the World Food Programme and its partners have distributed super cereal, a blend of corn and soy, to all displacement sites and similar efforts are underway in other districts.
However, some areas remain cut off due to the extremely challenging conditions on the ground. Aid workers are mobilising air transport and boats to transport supplies and for search and rescue efforts in locations that can't be accessed by road.
"Humanitarian partners are concerned by the risk of cholera spreading in flood-affected areas, especially in crowded displacement sites. UNICEF and its partners are working to clean latrines in schools serving as shelters in Blantyre and will also install water storage bladders to provide safe drinking water," the statement read.
"In Mozambique, the number of affected people by Freddy's second landfall also continues to rise, reaching 340,000. In total with the cumulative impact of the floods and the two landfalls, more than 510,000 people have been affected across the country," the statement added.
The United Nations assured that their team is present in each affected province and is working closely with the authorities to provide aid to over 49,000 people displaced and to access areas isolated by floods.
The UN also stated that "Cholera" is also spreading, and there are not enough water disinfection supplies to support containment activities to control the outbreak.
"Yesterday's allocation of USD 10 million by the Central Emergency Response Fund will help address some of the gaps in the response to cholera, floods and cyclone Freddy. However, more funding is urgently needed to contain the cholera outbreak and to sustain relief operations," the statement read.
"Humanitarian partners are finalizing a flash appeal - as an addition to this year's overall appeal - to address the most urgent humanitarian needs resulting from the convergence of Freddy, floods and cholera," the statement added.
On Tuesday, the Malawi Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change said the cyclone was "weakening but will continue to cause torrential rains associated with windy conditions in most parts of Southern Malawi districts".
"The threat of heavy flooding and damaging winds remains very high," the weather report said. (ANI)Get a daily dose of Switzerland Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Switzerland Times.
More InformationSAN FRANCISCO, California: Under pressure from European regulators, Apple has revamped its App Store policies in the EU, introducing...
Karol Nawrocki has said that under current conditions Kiev should not be in NATO either Ukraine must meet specific conditions before...
Aside from victory and sporting glory, the players in the women's Euro 2025 football tournament are playing for more money than ever...
A new law in Denmark subjects 18-year-old females to the draft starting July 1 Women in Denmark are now subject to conscription,...
The inflation is driven by the price of services, which recorded a yearly inflation rate of 3.3 percent in June, up from 3.2 percent...
The Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned the prosecution in Moldova of regional head Yevgenia Gutsul as politically motivated repression...
PARIS, France: France is taking stronger steps to reduce smoking. A new health rule announced on Saturday will soon ban smoking in...
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed Elon Musk's success has been built on government subsidies. Without...
EVERGLADES, Florida: Over the weekend, a diverse coalition of environmental activists, Native American leaders, and residents gathered...
BEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not...
]LONDON, U.K.: A World Health Organization (WHO) expert group investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic released its final...
DOVER, Delaware: California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken legal aim at Fox News, accusing the network of deliberately distorting...