Malawi: Cholera & Tropical Cyclone Freddy Response Dashboard (As of 30 April 2023)

OVERVIEW

Cyclone Freddy’s impacts continue to be felt by communities in southern Malawi. The storm caused at least US$506.7 million damage across the social, productive and infrastructure sectors in Malawi, with physical damages valued at $347.2 million and economic losses assessed at $159.5 million, according to the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment. Crisis (IPC phase 3) or Stressed (IPC phase 2) food insecurity is expected to persist in severely flood-affected parts of the region through September 2023, according to FEWSNET, and the devastation wrought by Cyclone Freddy is likely to significantly reduce crop harvests in the hardest-hit areas in southern Malawi. Over the past two months, the Government has closed about 600 out of the 747 displacement sites set up following the passage of Cyclone Freddy and the closing of sites is set to continue throughout June, according to the Government.

Meanwhile, interventions from the Government and health and humanitarian partners have seen cholera cases in Malawi decline, with a case fatality rate of 3 per cent as of May.
However, cases continue to be reported in nine districts, with the majority coming from Chikwawa, Blantyre, Lilongwe and Balaka, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

By the end of April 2023, humanitarian partners had reached 1.6 million people affected by cholera (1.1 million people reached) or Cyclone Freddy (620,000 people reached) with life-saving and life-sustaining assistance, in support of the Government-led response. At east 1.2 million people were reached with safe and clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene items (including 882,000 with cholera response and 304,000 with Freddy response), and about 605,000 learners were supported to access education (including 374,000 with cholera response and 312,000 with Freddy response). About 235,000 people impacted by the passage of Cyclone Freddy were reached with food and livelihood assistance, including cash, and humanitarian partners provided nutrition services to about 40,000 people (including 27,000 reached with cholera response and 12,000 with Freddy response). Some 118,000 people received health assistance (27,000 cholera response and 118,0000 Freddy response) while about 92,000 people whose houses were damaged by floods and mudslides received shelter materials and non-food items. About 304,000 children were provided with services to protect their safety, dignity and well-being.

However, with only US$28.5million received out of the $116 million required by the end of April 2023, the response continued to fall far short of needs. Humanitarian partners urgently require more funding to increase their response, in complement to the Government’s relief efforts, for the remainder of the Flash Appeal, which runs until the end of June 2023.