Tropical Cyclone Freddy has caused widespread damage and devastation in southern Malawi, with disaster authorities reporting a sharp increase in fatalities, missing persons, and displaced individuals. Approximately 500,000 people have been impacted by the storm's heavy rainfall, floods, mudslides, and wind damage. The UN World Food Programme has estimated that the equivalent of six months of rainfall fell in just six days due to Cyclone Freddy.
Numerous areas have been affected, including Balaka, Blantyre City and District, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Machinga, Mangochi, Mulanje, Mwanza, Neno, Nsanje, Phalombe, Thyolo, and Zomba City and District. Public infrastructure such as schools, health facilities, and roads have suffered severe damage, while over 40,000 homes have been damaged, destroyed, or deemed unsafe, causing more than 180,000 people to evacuate. Emergency accommodation has been set up in over 300 camps.
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs of Malawi has reported 326 fatalities, with Blantyre City and Blantyre District experiencing the most severe mudslides and flooding resulting in 180 deaths. Mulanje has also been severely affected, with almost 90 fatalities. Additionally, almost 800 people have been injured, and 201 individuals are still missing.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing in Nsanje, Chikwawa, Mulanje, Phalombe, and Blantyre districts, where most areas remain flooded. The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has confirmed that Cyclone Freddy has now dispersed into a Low-Pressure Area, and normal rainy season weather conditions will continue. However, most of the affected districts are still experiencing light to moderate rains, according to the Department of Disaster Management Affairs.