March 14 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, has declared a state of disaster in part of the Southern Region due to the passage of cyclone ‘Freddy’, which has left almost 200 dead in the African country, according to the latest balance provided by the authorities.
The Secretary of the Presidency, Colleen Zamba, has indicated that the disaster declaration has been adopted in line with the Disaster Preparedness and Relief Act and has specified that it affects ten districts, including Blantyre, the second most populous city in the country.
“The Government has begun to respond to emergencies and is asking for local and international support to help families affected by the disaster,” Zamba said. Chakwera will return from Qatar today to visit the victims.
The Malawi Department of Disaster Management has indicated this Tuesday in a statement on its Facebook social network account that at least 190 people have died and 584 have been injured due to the passage of ‘Freddy’, which has also left around of 40 missing.
Thus, he stressed that there is information about floods, mudslides and damage from strong winds in twelve districts, with nearly 60,000 people affected, including more than 4,300 who have been displaced from their homes. The authorities have installed 57 camps to accommodate these people.
“The department, humanitarian partners and councils continue to facilitate the delivery of aid to those affected and displaced, while search and rescue operations are spearheaded by the Malawi Defense Force — the Army –, the Police, the Army, the Malawi Red Cross and the communities,” he said.
Malawi has taken the brunt of one of the cyclones that has also affected other countries in the region such as Madagascar or Mozambique, and that has lasted the longest active in the southern hemisphere. In the case of Mozambique, it has made landfall twice. It has also caused damage and victims as it passes through islands of the Indian Ocean, especially in Madagascar.
