Malawi experiences a variety of natural disasters, including cyclical drought, cyclones, earthquakes, flooding, and severe storms. In addition, at-risk populations continue to experience recurring food insecurity. During the 2022–2023 lean season, the period when food is most scarce, an estimated 3.8 million people—a more than 150 percent increase compared to the previous lean season—were expected to require emergency food assistance, primarily due to climate-related disruptions to agricultural production and rising prices of fertilizer, food, and fuel.
Communities in Malawi continue to recover from the effects of Tropical Cyclone Freddy, which made landfall over the country’s Southern Region in March 2023, resulting in at least 676 deaths, at least 537 missing people, and more than 659,000 displaced people as of March 31. The cyclone caused widespread damage to civilian infrastructure, including to health and water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, and exacerbated a cholera outbreak that had begun in March 2022, in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclones Ana and Gombe. On March 15, U.S. Ambassador David Young issued a declaration of humanitarian need due to the effects of Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Malawi. In response, USAID is providing support—including shelter and WASH assistance—to storm-affected communities in Southern Region. USAID prioritizes assistance that responds to urgent humanitarian needs while also supporting activities that strengthen the resilience of communities and bolster their capacity to prepare for and mitigate future shocks.
