Cyclone

100 days since Cyclone Freddy, farmers in Malawi and Mozambique have nothing to grow ahead of the winter

June 21, 2023

Families forced to sell their land or take children out of school to survive.

100 days after Cyclone Freddy hit Malawi and Mozambique, many families have had to sell their farmland or withdraw their children from school in order to use the money to buy food.

Cyclone Freddy – one of the deadliest storms to hit the continent in the last two decades – killed over one thousand people, forced dozens of thousands out of their homes, decimated over one million acres of crop land, ripped apart over 5000 kilometres of roads, powerlines, telecommunications, and public infrastructure such as schools and hospitals were levelled to the ground. In some places, such as in Chiradzulu District in Malawi, a whole village was swept away.

“Torrential floods washed away everything, leaving farmers nothing to harvest. Families told us they have nothing to grow ahead of the winter as they lost their seeds, harvest and agricultural tools forcing them to make desperate decisions to survive,” said Amjad Ali, Oxfam in Southern Africa Programme Director.

“This has hugely contributed to food insecurity in the affected areas and the situation will only get worse if people are not assisted to grow food this winter”.

Production of staple food in Malawi such as maize has plummeted by nearly 30 percent forcing prices to surge. Food Inflation in Malawi has increased by 37.9 % and a 50-kilogram bag of maize costs approximately US$22, a price that is out of reach for most Malawians living on less than US$1 a day. Prices are likely to further rise before the next harvest which is ten months away from now.

Michenga Pensulo, 56, a farmer in Phalombe District in Southern Region of Malawi, said: “I have sold my two acres [piece of land] for MK150 thousand (approx. US$100) because I need to buy food and other household needs. It was a painful decision because I sold it cheaply, but I can’t stand to see my family starve.”

“In situations like these, evidence has shown that women, girls and children suffer the most,” Said Lingalireni Mihowa, Oxfam in Southern Africa Gender Justice Lead. “They often face extraordinary difficulties to secure food, and yet, too often they eat the least and last, and girls are most vulnerable, some may have to drop out school so that savings from school fees can support purchases of food for family to eat”.

“Over seven million people are already facing extreme hunger in the two countries. Unless developing partners immediately meet the US$253.9 million UN appeal, currently 22% funded, to help people rebuild their lives, millions more of people will have nothing to eat”, said Amjad.

Cyclone Freddy is another glaring reminder of how the people least responsible for climate change continue to pay the steepest price. The estimated loss and damage for Malawi and Mozambique is US$0.5 and US$1.5 billion respectively and the unmet financial need for them to strengthen their adaptive capacity to cope with these recurrent extreme events is skyrocketing.

“Rich polluting nations must honor their US$100 billion climate financing to support countries hit hardest like Malawi and Mozambique, sadly that is not the case,” said Amjad.

Oxfam’s “Climate Finance Shadow Report 2023” published in June 2023 shows that while donors claim to have mobilized US$83.3 billion in 2020, the real value of their spending was —at most— US$24.5 billion. The US$83.3 billion claim is an overestimation because it includes projects where the climate objective has been overstated or as loans cited at their face value.

Notes to the Editor

Oxfam’s Cyclone Freddy response in Malawi and Mozambique has reached over 77,230 people with cash transfers, water sanitation and hygiene kits and protection and dignity kits.
The decline on maize production in Malawi of up to 30% is according to Famine Early Warning Systems Network
Loss and damage figures for Malawi are according to the Malawi 2023 Tropical Cyclone Freddy Post-Disaster Needs Assessment and Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC) and Crisis Response Window (CRW) for Mozambique
Oxfam in Southern Africa is innovative digital and smarter ways to distribute humanitarian cash transfers, click on this link to watch a short documentary
Click here to read a blog by Lingalireni Mihowa who takes us through what she experienced when Cyclone and what thinks ought to happen to help survivors

Oxfam responds in Bangladesh and Myanmar as Cyclone Mocha leaves a trail of destruction

May 16, 2023

Super cyclonic storm Mocha made a landfall in Myanmar’s Rakhine state area, reaching a speed of 250 kmph, and crossing low lying areas including Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh on Sunday.

According to initial reports, the impact of the powerful storm killed at least 8 people abd caused extensive destruction to infrastructure in the western Myanmar region, where thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been living in camps.

Oxfam and partners are currently assessing the scale of devastation to mount a humanitarian response to provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, as well as emergency cash and food.

“Our teams in Sittwe faced terrifying winds which damaged homes, toppled trees and disrupted power and communication lines. The cyclone has devastated the IDP camps in Rakhine. Connection with our staff resumed this afternoon and are steadily receiving new reports, adding to the scale of devastation,” said Rajan Khosla, Oxfam Country Director in Myanmar.

Even before the cyclone, an estimated 6 million people were already in need of humanitarian aid in the states where the cyclone hit (Rakhine, Chin, Magway and Sagaing). Khosla, Oxfam, said that the need for essentials like shelter, clean water, sanitation will only rise.

“The cyclone will immensely impact existing displaced people and particularly communities in Rakhine, and Chin. More resources are required, and we call on the international community to provide adequate funds required to help them live a life of dignity,” said Rajan Khosla.

“We are working with local partners for response. Our emergency response team is ready for deployment to Sittwe, will be on their way as soon as the flight resumes to operate, and will start an immediate response,” he added.

In Bangladesh, while the cyclone veered away its path, the strong winds blew away the temporary bamboo homes in Teknaf area of Cox’s Bazar.

“It is a relief that the cyclone passed away without causing loss of life in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar. But the makeshift infrastructure in the camps could not withstand the strong winds. We have already started our response. We distributed cash to communities ahead of the storm and provided clean water for families to survive the night. Oxfam’s main relief efforts will focus on our area of expertise: providing safe water for people, as well as sanitation supplies and public health support to help prevent the spread of water-borne diseases,” said Ashish Damle, Oxfam Country Director in Bangladesh.

Oxfam is working closing with local communities, partners, and authorities to ensure coordination of efforts, and the safety and well-being of those residing in the camps in Bangladesh.

Oxfam and partners mounting a humanitarian response to help people affected by cyclone in Malawi and Mozambique

March 13, 2023

More than 80 people including women and children have been killed in Mozambique, Malawi and Madagascar, and millions more urgently need clean water, shelter and food following Cyclone Freddy – the longest and strongest tropical storm on record in the Southern hemisphere – which has damaged thousands of homes, roads, and telecommunication infrastructures.

Oxfam and partners are currently assessing the scale of devastation in order to mount a humanitarian response to provide clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, as well as emergency cash and food.

“This is a double tragedy for the people of Malawi and Mozambique as this is happening at the time when the two countries are already battered by a cholera outbreak,” said Dailes Judge, Oxfam in Southern Africa Programme Director.

Among the hardest hit areas are Quelimane district in Zambezia Province in Mozambique, and Blantyre City, Chikwawa, Thyolo, Phalombe and Nsanje districts in Malawi. Collapsing infrastructure particularly in the remotest areas is slowing relief efforts. Oxfam is working in close cooperation with both governments.

Cyclone Freddy made its first landfall on the eastern coast of Madagascar on February 21, 2023, and proceeded to hit Mozambique. The climate crisis has made extreme weather including cyclones more severe and prolonged.

“The people that contribute the least drivers of climate change are once again paying the steepest price to climate change, including their own lives”, said Lynn Chiripamberi, Oxfam in Southern Africa Humanitarian Programme Lead.

“A comprehensive humanitarian response is urgently needed to ensure those most impacted get immediate shelter, water and food. Equally important is for rich polluting nations to pay for the climate loss and damage of these countries,” added Judge.

Oxfam and local humanitarian partners assisting people hit by multiple cyclones in Southern Africa

February 16, 2022

Oxfam and its humanitarian partner organisations are providing humanitarian support including cash, food, clean water and sanitation to people recovering from multiple cyclones that have torn across Southern Africa in the past two weeks.

The region has been most recently rocked by Cyclone Batsirai and earlier Tropical Storm Ana. Ana alone affected over 180,000 people, killing at least 38, mostly in Zambezia, Nampula, and Tete provinces in Mozambique, flooding thousands of hectares of land and causing landslides. In Malawi, 37 people have been reported dead, 22 missing and 158 injured. Over 193,558 households (948,434 people) are affected, and 740 hectares of crops have been destroyed.

The ferocity and frequency of the storms are consistent with scientific warnings of worsening climate-related harm. Edward Thole, a Program Manager at Circle for Integrated Community Development (CICOD), one of Oxfam’s partner organisations, said that having strong climate-proof mitigation and safety measures already in place ―such as new water dykes around Bona village in Malawi― was “a life-saver”.

Margaret Kasumgwi, from Phalombe in Malawi told Oxfam: “The floods came when it was getting dark. Within minutes, water was knee high. We ran to safety leaving everything behind. Everything we had, including our food, is gone. We have no one to turn to because everyone here is affected. We are hungry.”

Justin Kumbira, a smallholder farmer from Salima village in Malawi, said he and his family had lost property to other floods over the past years: “I don’t know what else to do because every time we rebuild something, floods come and take everything. Floods have reduced us to beggars because we can’t feed ourselves now”.

“It will not be easy getting back on our feet. My field is destroyed, and crops may not make it, we have lost food we were keeping in the house, clothes gone and right now finding work is very difficult,” Kumbira said.

Oxfam in Southern Africa Programme Director, Dailes Judge said: “the increased frequency of tropical storms and other climatic shocks in the region means 88 million people across this region, that are already extremely poor as a result of inequality and two years of COVID-19, have little resilience left and their capacity to bounce back is severely constrained. This is largely due to decreased funding to emergency, recovery and long-term support to affected communities.”

For the past three years, five tropical storms have hit the Southern Africa region killing 780 people and leaving nearly 5 million people extremely vulnerable. On several occasions, the storms have been followed by dry spells and drought, perfect breeding conditions for pests such as fall armyworms that have decimated many thousands of hectares of crops.

Oxfam and partners are urgently calling for more aid to boost the humanitarian response to affected countries, build up people’s resilience building and moving into longer-term development.

Notes

Oxfam and partners’ humanitarian response is currently happening in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. To date, 3,425 people have been reached with water sanitation and hygiene, food assistance through multipurpose cash transfers and gender and safeguarding interventions.

70% of Tongan population affected in wake of Cyclone Gita

February 14, 2018

The full scale of destruction is beginning to emerge from Tonga in the aftermath of the severe tropical cyclone Gita.

Around 50,000 people, or almost 70% of the country’s population, have been affected, a third of whom are children.

Water supplies across the main island of Tongatapu have sustained significant damage, making the risk of further outbreaks of waterborne disease a very real threat. Tonga was already addressing an outbreak of dengue fever in Tongatapu before the storm hit.

Jane Foster, Oxfam’s country director for Tonga, said: “Homes have been destroyed, government buildings flattened, and churches devastated. We have one report of a man, who is one of our local partners, sheltering in his home with his family as part of it was ripped away while they watched in horror.

“The impact of this severe storm will be felt on many people’s livelihoods for a long time to come. We also have grave concerns for the immediate threat from damage sustained to water supplies as the risk of contamination is high. There is a real risk of a second disaster from water and mosquito borne illnesses like dengue.”

“Our focus right now is to support our local partners to conduct assessments as quickly as possible – they are out there now finding out exactly where the most urgent needs are. Oxfam’s main relief efforts will focus on our area of expertise: providing safe water for people, as well as sanitation supplies and public health support to help prevent the spread of water-borne diseases.”

Severe tropical cyclone Gita made landfall in the southern part of Fiji last night. Ms Foster said the agency was deeply concerned for communities in the outer islands, who are yet to make contact.

“Some of these islands that are going to be affected are extremely remote and hard to reach in the best of times. We hope that preparedness plans and evacuation centres keep people safe until support reaches them.”

New Zealanders wanting to support people affected by Cyclone Gita are urged to ensure their generosity has the biggest impact by sending cash, not goods, Ms Foster said. “In a disaster, many people are often moved to send goods they think can help. But for the cost of shipping nine litres of bottled water from New Zealand to Nuku’alofa, Oxfam can produce over 16,200 litres of safe drinking water in Tonga.”

Donations to support Oxfam’s emergency responses in the Pacific and around the world can be made online at oxfam.org.nz/drf or by calling 0800 600 700.

Cyclone Gita heading towards Tonga: Oxfam poised to respond

February 12, 2018

Oxfam is on standby to respond to Cyclone Gita, as latest forecasts predict the storm could intensify up to a category 5 cyclone before affecting Tonga later tonight.

Up to 70% of the country’s population is at risk with the severe tropical cyclone expected to pass near the populated main islands of Tongatapu and ‘Eua. The storm’s impact may also be felt in the low-lying Ha’apai group, where damaging winds, rain and storm surge are likely.

With the country already addressing an outbreak of dengue fever in Tongatapu, the deterioration of sanitation conditions on the island could increase the risk of a second disaster due to the spread of dengue and other vector and water-borne diseases.

Oxfam stands ready to support the Tongan government, which may include mobilising local partners and other emergency personnel.

Oxfam, along with its partner the Tongan National Youth Congress (TNYC), has disaster preparedness programmes in Ha’apai and Vava’u. Oxfam is liaising with TNYC and the Tongan government to prepare for an appropriate and coordinated response.

Jane Foster, Oxfam’s country director for Tonga, says: “Once the urgent needs are assessed we are expecting to help coordinate the supply of clean water and sanitation for those affected by the disaster.

“Oxfam has a long-established presence in Tonga and Samoa and we have pre-positioned emergency supplies already in-country ready to be deployed should they be required.”

If you’d like to help us support those affected by disasters like Cyclone Gita, donate to our Disaster Response Fund.