Cyclone Freddy Updates

Wednesday’s Update on Cyclone Freddy

Our team in Malawi has provided us with another daily update on the extent of the damage occurred due to Cyclone Freddy. in the field, the picture of the damage is slowly becoming clearer.

According to official government figures, fewer households have been affected than in last year’s tropical storm Ana, but according to reports from our staff in the field, water levels in some places are higher than last year’s storm. For example, the staff of our child care centers reported major flooding in Nsanje district due to rising river levels and continual rainfall. Also in Blantyre, the damage is worse than with Tropical Storm Ana.

Gerrit Oomen explains “In general, we can say that the severity of the damage in most areas right now seems to be less than last year’s cyclone Ana. But at the same time it must be said that the country was still recovering from Cyclone Ana, the energy supply had not yet been fully restored and also rebuilding of houses (emergency help) was not yet fully completed. We are now waiting for new information for a complete picture of the situation both at our centres and in Malawi in general. Once the information is received we can assess where and whether help is needed. Our main focus will be on the children and families at our child care centres.”

Some pictures from our child care centre in Namitambo:

The death toll for the country continues to rise to over 200 people and many are still missing.  In some areas the effects have been completely devastating like villages being wiped out by landslides or being completely blocked off due to rising water. Full assessments of all areas are not possible due to access roads being blocked or destroyed. The Malawian military, as well as large organizations like the Red Cross, are actively working in the affected areas. At this time, it is lightly raining in Blantyre with slightly heavier rains in the Nsanje district.

Part of the official government update on March 14.

Cholera and food supply were already concerns prior to cyclone Freddy and we request your prayers for these matters.  We will continue to monitor both components amongst all our beneficiaries and programs and respond as needed. 

We know everyone is anxiously waiting for more information as to how the program sites are affected and how assistance can be provided so we want to assure you that we are providing as much information as possible as our team is collecting the data. It is important to us to pass on accurate information and not rely on the extreme areas and images we see to provide the only picture of the happenings in Malawi.

Previous Social Media posts below:

Monday, March 13

Storm Freddy has arrived in Malawi. It is causing heavy rain and wind gusts. We are hearing of local flooding and deaths from the storm. Around our Child Care Centers, fortunately, little has yet been flooded or damaged. Much will depend on the amount and location of rain over the next 24 hours. The river's water level was lower in some areas (such as Chikwawa) compared to last year during Cyclone Ana. There has been relatively little rain in the southern most region as most rain has fallen in Blantyre. This is an advantage for our beneficiaries for now.

Please join us in praying that the rain and wind may subside?

Pastor Joppe sent this picture of the saturated ground on Sunday by church as the rains just started to fall.

Tuesday, March 14

Update on Cyclone Freddy in Malawi

Cyclone Freddy has been raging across southern Africa for an unusually long time, causing extensive damage in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar. In the meantime, the rainfall is coming down strongly and the wind seems to be weakening in South Malawi. The tropical storm is expected to bring rain and flooding into tomorrow, the UN said. As of now the death toll has risen to 190 people due to the storm and many are injured the government of Malawi said.

We spoke to our general manager Gerrit Oomen in Malawi: “In Blantyre, where our office is located, there are many deaths, especially from the slums. Although the wind has weakened, the cyclone is leaving a trail of destruction: collapsing houses, falling trees, flooding and landslides. The exact figures are still difficult to determine because many facilities have been damaged. When you drive through the city of Blantyre you have no idea that so many people are affected within the city, but there are a few highly populated areas that have been affected by mudslides."
"So far, the direct damage from the cyclone, in the area of ​​our child care centers, seems to be a lot less serious than with Cyclone Ana last January. Only at our child care center in Mulinga have cases of damage from the heavy rains been reported.”

There are concerns about the cholera outbreak in the country. The risk of infection is increasing due to the flooding and poor water and sanitation facilities. Gerrit Oomen stated: “We have not yet received any indications that there are cases of cholera in or around our child care centres. We are taking extra hygiene measures and hope and pray that the infections in Malawi do not increase further.” Cholera can especially occur during the rainy season. People can get diarrhea because of this and there is a risk of dehydration.

(Pictures are taken from a video sent by Gerrit when he was driving through one area of Blantyre).

Please pray with us for the people of Malawi.

A picture taken from a video sent by Gerrit when he was driving through the Monkey Bay area.