The effects of Cyclone Freddy

I’m writing this on my return flight from Blantyre, Malawi at the end of my unplanned visit to assess the effects of Cyclone Freddy.

It’s been a short trip on account of the fact that my son, Philip is getting married next week. Over the years, I missed many family birthdays and anniversaries, but I can’t miss that!

I had little idea what to expect as I left N. Ireland around 10 days ago, having hurriedly changed plans to be with the saints in Jordan for Bible teaching.

To be honest, what I found has alarmed me.

On the one hand, I am alarmed to hear seasoned ex-pats who have spent decades in Malawi speak of a catastrophe on a scale they have never witnessed before.

On the other hand I am alarmed that for so many in this country it just seems to be business as usual.

Malawi has experienced many impactful natural disasters. Droughts and famine. Cyclones and floods. Even localised earthquakes, as Malawi straddling the Great Rift Valley. In our 20-something years of experience in Malawi, we have experienced each of these – on more than one occasion. Indeed, Freddy is the third major cyclone to hit Malawi in the past 5 years, following Idai and Ana, not to mention sever others of less intensity.

But nothing like this.

Unprecedented effects of cyclone Freddy

This massive mudslide ripped through Njuli village

Meteorologists reckon that Freddy may have been to most powerful cyclone on record. Its destructive force was unleashed twice on Mozambique. Freddy made landfall some time earlier before retreating to the Indian Ocean. It then returned to batter the African continent for a second time. Over the weekend of 12 March, Freddy unleashed around 6 months’ worth of monsoon rain in as many days, or less.

It’s not the first time that the low-lying Shire valley and Phalombe plain has flooded. But the effect on Blantyre’s unplanned and over-crowded slum townships is simply unprecedented.

The first funeral I preached at in Malawi was not far from where so many perished because of cyclone Freddy. A young child had drowned after falling into a slum bafa – a communal un-plumbed bathing area. Thousands of homes are piled on top of each other along the sides of the city’s landmark mountains – Soche, Ndirande, and Mchiru. Most have no form of drainage or sanitation.

It was a disaster waiting to happen.

Yet, Malawians have got used to hardship and disaster. It’s a way of life. Or death.

Disasters – a way of life

Before 12 March millions of Malawians were already struggling. As they have done to greater or lesser degrees for most of their lives.

Malawi is presently the 11^th poorest country in the world.[1]

In August last year, 3.8 million people were expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 – Crisis). Almost 6.5 million others categorised as IPC Phase 2 (Stressed) and at needing help to avoid disaster risk and improve their livliehood protection. Experts were already predicting that 21 of Malawi’s 28 Districts would be struggling with food insecurity between October 2022 and March 2023.[2]

That was before Cyclone Freddy.

The reasons are many.

It is true that Malawi lacks the natural resources that many of our regional neighbours are blessed with. In their place, corruption, nepotism and mismanagement abound.

Lack of opportunities and a culture of jealousy conspire to make Malawi an unlikely place for the capable to succeed. Able young people pursue education and opportunity overseas, and understandably never come back. Thus, the brain-drain dooms Malawi to be led by a succession of people not good enough to make it overseas, but clever enough to cheat their way to comfort at home.

Nothing works in this country!

On my recent visit, one long-term resident of Malawi complained angrily, “Nothing works in this country! They’ve stolen everything!”

It’s true. The country’s infrastructure is broken down.

You can’t get a driving license in Malawi because they can’t import the plastic cards. And even more seriously, I couldn’t buy coffee beans because the roastery couldn’t find gas!

I know that doesn’t sound like much of a hardship, but think about the business owner who’s losing coffee sales every day because the country is broken.

Or the business owner who wouldn’t even give me a quotation for an irrigation pump, because he’s embarrassed to contact his supplier for a price, knowing there is no foreign exchange in the country to actually buy the pump if I say yes.

So the demand for coffee beans falls, hurting the coffee growers, and the price of maize goes up, because people like us who would grow food in the dry season can’t – even if we could find fertiliser.

And then came Freddy!

Overwhelmed by need

Unfortunately, I can’t give you up-to-date statistics. The authorities seem to be overwhelmed and unable to stay current with the numbers. However, it is safe to say that hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the extensive flooding and mudslides. In our District (Zomba) alone, there are almost 50,000 people living in evacuation camps because their homes were either destroyed or damaged by the cyclone. Many of them are children and elderly. Around half have received no assistance yet, 3 weeks into the crisis. That is partly because of the sheer scale of the catastrophe. And partly because the network of mostly dirt rural roads can’t cope with the volume of rain which has and continues to fall.

In most cases the camps are nothing more than empty school classrooms. Typically that means bare earth or cement floors and unglazed windows. Many have no bedding and some may even have no change of clothing. The camps are fertile ground for those seeking to exploit vulnerable women and children.

Isolated Evacuation Camp in Zomba District

More than a week ago, the total number of displaced households exceeded 114,000 – that’s likely to be over half a million people. These poor, mostly uneducated people, are not responsible for the mismanagement and corruption of their country. They aren’t to blame for coronavirus and they didn’t start the far-away war in Ukraine. But they are certainly paying the price!

As one person wrote to me recently, “We are overwhelmed by a world in need.” It is indeed overwhelming.

I give thanks that our Saviour is never overwhelmed, and I am truly grateful for the grace of his people who continually respond in kindness and generosity. As a result of this kindness we are able to make a small but meaningful contribution to the relief effort.