Cyclone Freddy in Malawi leaves more than half a million homeless

The deadly Cyclone Freddy has left more than half a million people homeless in its wake in Malawi, according to the UN, which warned on Tuesday of an "explosion of

" in the poor southern African country.

Freddy, which dissipated last week after causing heavy flooding and massive landslides, killed at least 499 people in southern Malawi, the epicenter of the disaster, and more than 650 in total in southern Africa since the end of February, according to data collected by UN agencies.

Those affected are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

International Organization for Migration

"

" in Malawi, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement, the cyclone having had "

" with a population of about 20 million.

At least 1,300 people were injured and more than 400 are still missing.

Search and rescue operations continue and more than 500 emergency shelters have been opened.

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.

"

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The authorities and NGOs fear in particular a worsening of the cholera epidemic.

Malawi has been fighting for more than a year against the worst epidemic of this disease that the country has known, which has already killed more than 1,700 people.

Damage on a road after mudslides and landslides caused by Cyclone Freddy, in Blantyre, Malawi, March 15, 2023. ESA ALEXANDER / REUTERS

On track to be ranked the longest cyclone on record, Freddy first hit Madagascar and Mozambique in late February before returning to the Indian Ocean.

It had regained power from the warm waters and turned back, heading back to the mainland.

Upon his return, he hit landlocked Malawi the hardest.

Phenomena linked to climate change are more and more often the cause of population displacements in the world, according to the IOM.

Over the past decade, storms, floods and droughts have caused an average of 21.6 million internal displacements each year.