(Image credit: Jack McBrams)
King Charles III of the United Kingdom has sent a message of condolence to President Lazarus Chakwera and people of Malawi following loss and damage caused by Cyclone Freddy.
In a statement addressed to Chakwera, King Charles has said he can only begin to imagine the scale of suffering and loss as a result of the tragedies.
“I particularly wanted to convey our deepest and most heartfelt sympathy to the families of all those who have lost their loved ones,” reads part of the statement.
It adds that the King’s thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the appalling natural disaster whether through injury or the destruction of property.
To assist Malawi respond to the disaster, the United Kingdom has provided £1 million (about K1.3 billion) in lifesaving support to Malawi.
The UK’s emergency package of assistance comprises a team of emergency medical personnel, a team with international search and rescue expertise (ISAR), specialist boats, and urgently needed emergency relief items such as shelter materials and water filters.
This is in addition to the immediate support the UK provided to the Malawi Government at the Emergency Operations Centre in Blantyre when the cyclone hit. This included food assistance, staff and vehicles to help Government and the UN launch emergency operations.
In his statement, King Charles said: “I do hope the UK assistance we are providing will help Malawi through this difficult time.”
In Malawi, Cyclone Freddy has displaced 362,928 people with 505 camps set up to accommodate the displaced. The impact of the storm has killed 447 people with 918 injured and 282 reported missing.
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