UN agencies on Monday were scrambling to reach millions affected by the deadly tropical cyclone Freddy, which has worsened cholera outbreaks in Malawi and Mozambique as communities recover from devastating damages caused by storms, massive flooding, and mudslides.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said millions of children are at risk amid cholera outbreaks in Malawi and Mozambique. Both countries face flooding and damage caused by the cyclone, leading to death, displacement, and the devastation of infrastructure and social services. The after-effects have crippled access to health and other basic services.
Risks are rising
One week after cyclone Freddy made landfall for a second
time in Mozambique, risks are rising.
“We are now facing a very real risk of a rapidly
accelerating cholera outbreak in Mozambique, a disease which is
particularly dangerous for young children, especially those who are
malnourished,” said Maria Luisa Fornara, UNICEF Representative to the country.
“UNICEF is working closely with the Government to
urgently restore access to health, water, hygiene, and sanitation
interventions to areas hit by the cyclone, and to prevent and treat
cholera, but additional support is needed to meet the rapidly growing
needs of children and families.”
Cholera cases
quadruple
Thanks to preparation efforts by the Government of
Mozambique, the number of deaths and people displaced by the cyclone appears to
have been lower than for past cyclones of similar magnitude, UNICEF said.
Still, reported cholera cases have almost quadrupled –
to almost 10,700 – since early February and more than 2,300 cases have been
reported in Mozambique in the past week alone, the agency said.
Even prior to the cyclone, Malawi and Mozambique were among
the countries most seriously affected by the cholera outbreak that
has, in 2023 alone, resulted in more than 68,000 cases across 11 countries in
the eastern and southern Africa region, the agency reported.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has also issued an emergency appeal.
Malawi: growing death
toll
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths released
$5.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to assist cyclone-affected people in Malawi, as the
devastating toll of floods and mudslides in the country’s southern region
continues to rise.
UNICEF estimated that 4.8 million children are in
humanitarian need.
Visiting flood-ravaged communities on 16 March, UN Resident
Coordinator for Malawi, Rebecca Adda-Dontoh pledged UN support.
“The destruction and suffering that I witnessed in southern
Malawi is the human face of the global climate crisis,” she said. “The
people I met with - many of whom have lost their homes and loved ones - have done
nothing to cause this crisis. We, as the United Nations, stand in full
solidarity with the people of Malawi at this tragic time and we call
on the international community to do the same.”
Broad ongoing efforts
Ongoing efforts funded by the CERF grant are addressing
water, sanitation, and hygiene needs, shelter, vital non-food items, food,
healthcare and the prevention of gender-based violence and child protection
risks, she said.
“People are traumatized, and many have lost their homes, their belongings and their livelihoods,” Ms. Adda-Dontoh said. “In support of the Government-led response, through this CERF grant, we will aim to assist those who have been hardest-hit with life-saving and life-sustaining assistance.”