Pretoria – Four months have passed since Tropical Cyclone Freddy's catastrophic landfall in Madagascar in March 2023, followed by Mozambique, then Malawi. Since the cyclone's devastating impact, the affected countries have been grappling with extensive infrastructural damages and the mass displacement of communities. Over four million persons have been affected in all three countries combined. IOM  responded since March through a multisectoral response. However, needs remain high and continued support is required for communities to fully recover and achieve sustainable solutions to their displacement.

In Malawi, the cyclone caused widespread destruction, affecting over 1.3 million people, displacing over 659,000 people and resulting in 679 fatalities, with more than 530 people reported missing. It led to floods, landslides, and the destruction of infrastructure, including houses, roads, bridges, power supply, and irrigation systems. Crops were also damaged, increasing health risks such as the continuous spread of cholera, malaria, and worsening malnutrition outcomes. The recovery process will take years, as households’ resources are already depleted after the recovery of devesating floods in 2019 and 2022, years of Covid-19 and dire economic situation. Most internally displaced people (IDPs) have returned to their home villages, however with no or only very limited resources, trying to reestablish their life  and livelihoods. Yet, more than 50,000 people are still residing in 25 remaining displacement camps and are waiting for relocation as their areas of origin remain inhabitable and/or are too exposed and at high risks of future floods . Limited emergency funds have created gaps in meeting the needs of vulnerable groups  and affected households in and out of camps.

“It was kind of hard to imagine that within 24 hours we became homeless”, Mary Matebule narrated. She and her family received emergency shelter materials and Non-Food Items (NFIs) from Habitat for Humanity Malawi through the support of IOM. Matebule lives with her husband and family of four in Zomba district become homeless when the rains washed away their house. “I am thankful for the support IOM and Habitat for Humanity Malawi are doing as they have been giving us humanitarian assistance”, said  Matebule.

IOM has provided support to over 30,000 people across three districts, offering shelter, NFIs, and cash for temporary housing. IOM has  built communal shelters and emergency latrines, ensuring safe living conditions for over 2,000 individuals in camps. IOM being the CCCM sector co lead has been actively involved in camp coordination and camp management  training, empowering and assisting over 450 people to deliver better coordinated responses and ensure feedback mechanism is established in camps settings. rs. IOM's CCCM programme is strengthening camp structures via the establishment of camp management committees and supports needs assessments in the displacement sites and return areas to inform ongoing humanitarian operations. Despite challenges in funding, the CCCM programme launched a pilot relocation plan for Chiradzulu district, aiming to provide safe and durable solutions for 300 individuals (59 households), probing procedures aiming at serving and relocating ultimately all 50,000 affected individuals to improve the well-being of the affected communities.

In Mozambique, Cyclone Freddy and its  heavy rains severely affected 1.75 million people, leading to the displacement of over 500,000 individuals. Currently, more than 9,000 people are still displaced and residing in resettlement centers.

So far IOM has assisted over 350,000 people affected by Cyclone Freddy in Mozambique. They have provided support to the government by assisting in site planning and coordination, and distributing non-food items and emergency shelter kits. Additionally, IOM is working with the government to offer primary healthcare services, mental health and psychosocial support, and support cholera vaccination campaigns. However, there are still significant unmet needs, as the humanitarian response lacks the necessary funds and resources. Urgent needs such as shelter improvement, health and hygiene support, protection, and site management remain unfunded. Addressing these challenges is crucial to effectively manage displacement and support the affected populations.

In Madagascar, cyclone Freddy hit the South-East region in February 2023, resulting in 11 fatalities and affecting 226,000 people. About 147,000 individuals still require humanitarian assistance. OCHA conducted a rapid evaluation, identifying 31 communes in urgent need of help due to the destruction of homes and infrastructure. This worsened the situation in a region already impacted by two previous cyclones. Agricultural lands were extensively damaged, leading to migration mainly by men seeking economic opportunities in the northern part of the island, leaving women and children vulnerable.

IOM Madagascar is actively involved in the South-East region through two projects. One project, funded by the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), provides cash-for-shelter and rehabilitates three collective centers in Mananjary. The other project, funded by the Government of Japan ("Sorebe Project"), focuses on mental health and psychosocial support, livelihoods, social cohesion, displacement tracking, camp coordination, and camp management. These projects have received positive feedback from local and regional authorities and implementing partners. In total, the projects aim to benefit 25,900 direct beneficiaries and 79,540 indirect beneficiaries.

IOM remains committed to providing vital assistance and support to the affected regions in all three countries, working tirelessly to alleviate the suffering and help rebuild the lives of those affected by Cyclone Freddy. However, there is a lack of funds and resources to address the significant needs of the affected populations in all three countries, including shelter improvement, health support, protection, and mental health services.

For more information please contact:

Lilongwe: Jacqueline Mpeni jmpeni@iom.int

Maputo: Amanda Martinez anero@iom.int

Antananarivo: Seshiru Muraki smuraki@iom.int

Pretoria: Abibo Ngand angandu@iom.int