Link to article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/16/malawis-chakwera-appeals-for-immediate-aid-after-cyclone-freddy
President Lazarus Chakwera has called for international aid after ravaging storms that has killed hundreds and has displaced thousands more. He called for help in an interview outside a camp in Blantyre, which is Malawi’s commercial capital and has suffered the most damage from the storms. Tropical cyclone Freddy hit the coast of southern Africa over the weekend and caused major damage in Malawi. Chakwera has pledged $1.5m in assistance but needs international aid in order to fully restore the infrastructure in Malawi. He also says that climate change has led to an increase in cyclones and have dealt with 3 cyclones within the last year. As climate change warms the oceans, heat energy from the waters’ surface creates even more powerful storms.
Cyclone Freddy has also been called the most powerful cyclone energy and might even break a few more records. Malawi is also facing an issue of unclean water and could face another cholera outbreak if the water is not properly cleaned. This is similar to Cyclone Anna that caused a cholera outbreak the year prior. Yusuf Nthenda, member of parliament for Mulanje West, said that the community had yet to receive aid and some of his constituents have had little food to eat during this time. I think it is saddening how we continue to turn our heads away from these communities that are in desperate need of help. I think that due to the little media coverage this is getting that the word is still not out to the international community, and the voices that are calling for aid need to be louder.
Doctors Without Borders was an NGO that was able to assist Malawi with provisions, shelters, and medical care to the affected communities in Malawi. This group provides medical aid during humanitarian crises to people that need aid the most. They provide for people affected by conflict, disease, natural and man-made disasters, and countries that lack healthcare in more than 70 countries. Some of the recent issues Doctors Without Borders have focused on are the COVID-19 pandemic, global migration and refugee crisis, and most notably assisting communities affected by the earthquake in Haiti.