UK sends vital aid to cyclone-hit Malawi

• UK sends 27-person search and rescue team and six-person medical team to help Malawi government save lives in the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy
• The aid will also provide shelter and water to thousands of flood-affected people
• UK teams will work with Malawian authorities to provide help where it is most needed

The UK is providing crisis expertise and urgently needed humanitarian supplies to Malawi following the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy.

Our support will provide emergency shelter to around 3,600 people and allow up to 12,750 flood-affected people to access clean water, protecting them from disease.

UK Development and Africa Minister Andrew Mitchell MP said:

Since that horrific cyclone hit, we have been working to support the emergency response in Malawi and provide lifesaving aid to those who need it most.

Alongside Malawians, our search and rescue and medical teams are playing a vital role in helping to ensure that those who have lost their homes in the floods receive the expert assistance they so desperately need and which we are warning a wider cholera epidemic.

The UK’s initial assistance package, which arrived in Malawi today, includes: 27 members of the UK’s International Search and Rescue (ISAR) team; and six from the UK Emergency Medical Team (EMT); specialized boats; and necessary emergency relief items. The flight with our support left Birmingham airport this morning.

This is on top of the immediate aid the UK provided to the Malawian government when the cyclone hit last week to help launch emergency operations. This builds on the UK’s long-standing partnership with Malawi, working together on crisis preparedness and resilience. For example, the UK has supported Malawi in the fight against cholera and Covid-19.

More than 300 people died in this tragic event which also left nearly 20,000 people homeless.

The UK ISAR team will support the Malawian authorities in the search for flood survivors, assisted by their specialist equipment which includes light and nimble boats and a drone team. These boats will be donated to the Government of Malawi for future emergency use when the UK ISAR team departs.

The emergency medical team will help hospitals in southern Malawi treat victims of Cyclone Freddy and save lives. Their support builds on existing UK cholera-focused EMTs who have been in Malawi since January 2023 and are helping to reduce the risk of an ongoing cholera outbreak.

The UK government remains in close contact with authorities in the region and stands ready to assist any UK national concerned.

Notes to editors:

• Cyclone Freddy made landfall in Mozambique on March 11 and in Malawi on March 12. The floods have already displaced 183,000 people.
• Malawi was particularly affected by what would previously have been considered a once in 20 year weather event.
• Although the bigger picture remains unclear due to lack of access, so far 326 people have died, while 796 have suffered various injuries and more than 200 people are still missing.
• The floods, covering more than 400 km2, are expected to persist until next week. President Chakwera has declared a state of disaster.
• The British team will work with Malawian authorities to rescue people stranded by heavy flooding.

UK international search and rescue teams

• The ISAR team deployed through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office following a request for assistance from Malawi.
• The team is on permanent standby to mobilize and help at the request of countries affected by the disaster. It always deploys as an official UK Government team once a request for assistance has been made.
• Any UK ISAR team deployed is self-sufficient upon arrival and provides its own food, water, shelter, sanitation, communications and all necessary equipment to undertake search and rescue operations for up to 14 days.
• This is to ensure that no additional burden is imposed on a country that is already suffering from strain on its resources as a result of a sudden onset disaster.
• UK ISAR was established in 1993, is made up of 14 fire and rescue services and has helped to deal with the aftermath of disasters around the world.