In March 2023, Malawi was devastated by Cyclone Freddy, the longest tropical cyclone on record. More than 18 months later, villages ravaged by the storm are still feeling the effects: isolation, illness and increased poverty. Meanwhile the country's authorities, grappling with the cost of reconstruction, have struggled to put in place strategies to adapt to climate change.
Sosten Fashion pulls up his navy-blue jumper to reveal three long scars across his abdomen. Then he lifts up his trouser leg to reveal a fourth on his leg. “Before, I used to be a butcher.
It allowed me to support my family. But today, because of these injuries, I find it hard to get around and I can’t work,” said the 62-year-old father of four. “Daily life has become very difficult.
We have no more money, no more food, and no one to help us.” Fashion is one of thousands of people in , east Africa, who were injured when Cyclone Freddy ripped through the country in March 2023. The storm was the ever recorded, lasting 36 days.
It hit Madagascar, La Réunion, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, one of the world’s poorest countries. In the densely populated south, six months of rain fell in six days – sparking flash and mudslides. More than 1,200 people died and 659,000 were displaced.
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