It is a rare phenomenon, according to weather specialists. Unexpectedly, Cyclone Freddy circled and swept across southern Africa. Malawi and Mozambique are hard hit, the authorities of both countries and NGOs count at least 70 dead. And the balance sheet is likely to increase in the coming hours.
In Malawi, the presidency has declared a “state of disaster” in several southern regions of the country, including that which is home to the economic capital, Blantyre.
Joined by RFI, the local Red Cross has so far counted 66 dead, just for Malawi, to which are added 93 injured and 16 missing. The humanitarian organization describes a situation “ terribly bad “, with incessant rains, since yesterday Sunday March 12, which aggravate the floods and complicate the emergency aid.
Mudslides poured down from both sides of a mountain in the capital, Blantyre, washing away many houses. In total, the provisional assessment that the government of Malawi communicated to the Red Cross amounts to more than 200,000 people affected by the damage of Cyclone Freddy.
Mozambique twice hit
In the case of neighboring Mozambique, this is the second time since the end of February that the cyclone has hit the country. At least four people have died in Zambezia province since Freddy’s return over the weekend.
It is the center of Mozambique which is particularly affected and, according to Ocha, the humanitarian branch of the United Nations, almost 600,000 people could be affected by this cyclone of unprecedented magnitude.
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