UN agencies brace for disaster as Cyclone Mocha intensifies in Bay of Bengal

UN agencies brace for disaster as Cyclone Mocha intensifies in Bay of Bengal

The very severe cyclonic storm is quickly strengthening in the Bay of Bengal, threatening the region with violent winds, flooding, and landslides that could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of the world’s most vulnerable people, said Clare Nullis, of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The agency’s regional specialized meteorological centre in New Delhi forecast that…

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Malawi: Rights experts offer ‘heartfelt support and solidarity’, in wake of Cyclone Freddy

Malawi: Rights experts offer ‘heartfelt support and solidarity’, in wake of Cyclone Freddy

“We extend our heartfelt support and solidarity to the hundreds of thousands affected by Freddy, the longest-lasting tropical cyclone ever recorded in the southern hemisphere,” the UN-appointed human rights experts said in a statement. “The cyclone has had a devastating toll on people across 14 districts – nearly half the country – causing loss of lives,…

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Southern Africa: Cyclone Freddy aftermath brings diseases, healthcare gaps

Southern Africa: Cyclone Freddy aftermath brings diseases, healthcare gaps

The devastation caused by the cyclone in Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique has increased the spread of cholera and malaria, as well as malnutrition. Meanwhile, more than 300 health facilities have been destroyed or flooded in the three countries, limiting health care access. The cyclone’s destruction increased public health risks including a surge in the spread…

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UN ramps up aid as millions affected in cyclone Freddy’s wake

UN ramps up aid as millions affected in cyclone Freddy’s wake

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said millions of children are at risk amid cholera outbreaks in Malawi and Mozambique. Both countries face flooding and damage caused by the cyclone, leading to death, displacement, and the devastation of infrastructure and social services. The after-effects have crippled access to health and other basic services. Risks are rising…

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Tropical cyclone Freddy set to further weaken cholera-hit Malawi

Tropical cyclone Freddy set to further weaken cholera-hit Malawi

“Malawi is really experiencing the deadliest cholera outbreak in its recorded history – nothing less than that – and the country is also struggling to respond to an earlier outbreak and ongoing COVID-19 cases across the nation,” said Rudolf Schwenk, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Malawi Representative. In an update to journalists in Geneva, Mr. Schwenk…

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