“On top of claiming over 190 lives thus far, the cyclone continues to pose enormous inconveniences to thousands of livelihoods across the country,” President Lazarus Chakwera wrote on Facebook.
“It is for this reason that hours after the first preliminary assessment of the damage, I declared a State of Disaster in most parts of the Southern Region as a way of mobilizing global support towards recovery,” he added.
Prior to Freddy's arrival in Malawi, the country had been experiencing its worst Cholera outbreak in history.
Freddy's effects raised fears in the public that it'd worsen. Rainfall was heaviest in the southern region of the country.
These districts include Blantyre, Phalombe, Mulanje, Chikhwawa, and Nsanje. It caused flooding, destroyed homes, and washed people away. A lot of road infrastructure was also damaged.
At least 190 people were killed in the onslaught of Freddy with 16 others missing, and 200 injuries reported.
At least 85 of these deaths were reported in Blantyre, and cut communications have affected assessment efforts.
Among the victims was a child trapped in debris, and a family who was swept away following the destruction of their home.
In the hardest-hit districts, 19,000 people, and 4,000 households have been displaced. (ILKHA)