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Malawi

Lessons Learned Exercise: Tropical Storm Filipo, June 2024

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Completed June 2024

BACKGROUND

Malawi frequently faces extreme weather events and multi-hazards, leading to significant losses in lives and livelihoods, displacement, food insecurity, and disease outbreaks. The country is particularly vulnerable to dry spells, droughts, intense rainfalls, and floods, with flooding being a primary concern due to its increasing frequency and severity. Most notably, Tropical Cyclone (TC) Freddy struck Malawi in March 2023 and affected more than 2.2 million people, resulting in mass displacement, loss of lives, and missing people.

Since 2017, Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) has been implementing an Anticipatory Action (AA) approach towards combating these multi-hazards in the country, with special focus on predicting sudden-onset flooding and activating life-saving actions.

In March 2024, Malawi faced the threat of experiencing yet another climate-related disaster. The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) issued an alert on 7th March 2024 about a potential Tropical Storm developing in the Southern Indian Ocean, which could affect Southern Malawi by Sunday 10 March.

On 8th March, DoDMA activated all clusters and requested districts to activate EOCs, partners to provide overview of pre-positioned stock, and intensify community awareness on the situation. Additionally, DoDMA requested for the pre-positioning of Search & Rescue teams, as well as boat and operators.