Situation:

After forming near Australia, Cyclone Freddy traveled westward, eventually making its first landfall in Madagascar on Feb. 21 and then two more landfalls in Mozambique. In addition to Madagascar and Mozambique, Malawi was profoundly affected. Freddy led to at least 1,200 deaths, including over 1,000 in Malawi. Freddy was the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in history, lasting five weeks and two days.

Response:

In response to Cyclone Freddy, Lutheran Disaster Response is supporting the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (ELCM) and Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS). ELCM is distributing food to impacted people, as well as educating them on nutrition and overall health well-being. ELDS is also addressing food needs in Malawi by distributing food and providing drought-resistant seeds and irrigation kits for people to begin replanting their crops. Additionally, ELDS is distributing hygiene supplies to survivors and holding workshops about sanitation and hygiene.

Be part of the response:

Pray
Please pray for all people impacted by Cyclone Freddy. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need.

Give
Thanks to generous donations, Lutheran Disaster Response is able to respond quickly and effectively to disasters around the globe. Your gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response will be used to assist survivors of Cyclone Freddy and other disasters in the U.S. and around the world.

To learn more about the situation and the ELCA’s response:

• Sign up to receive Lutheran Disaster Response alerts.

• Check the Lutheran Disaster Response blog.

• Like Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook, follow @ELCALDR on Twitter, and follow @ELCA_LDR on Instagram.