Cyclone Freddy: At least 110 thousand people affected in Machinga

About 109, 696 people have been affected by Cyclone Freddy in Machinga district.

This was revealed during Energy Minister Ibrahim Matola’s visit in the district on Thursday.

Matola started his inspection tour at Senior Chief Nyambi headquarters, where he comforted flood survivors,  before proceeding to other areas of Paramount Chief Kawinga and Senior Chief Mlomba respectively.

Out of the affected people in the eastern region district, over 60,000 are female and over 6,000 are children between the age range of 6 to 18 years.

After visiting the affected residents in the area, the minister said; “it is saddening to see so many people suffering, but I take solace in knowing that we can make a difference in their lives, if we all continue working together. Just like in other areas, the people in Machinga also need our support such as shelter, blankets, pots, and food among other necessities”.

The energy minister echoed President Lazarus Chakwera’s call for collective effort towards assisting survivors of Cyclone Freddy.

“It is very depressing to witness lives being lost, things being destroyed, and other people getting injured. Let us get together to support those who are affected.” Matola hinted.

As of Thursday, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) revealed that the Cyclone Freddy induced death toll had risen from 225 to 326.

At least 317 camps have been set up to keep 40, 702 households of 183,196 displaced people.

Meanwhile, DODMA has set 115 as a toll free number for rescue and support during this hardest time.