UK and Malawi Strengthen Ties with Disaster Preparedness Training Post-Cyclone Freddy

It has been nearly a year since Malawi endured one of its worst flooding events in living history. Areas previously spared from flooding saw unprecedented rains, with entire communities being submerged. Cyclone Freddy took 679 lives, while an additional 537 people have never been found. Malawi's national forces were deployed, but rough water conditions, inadequate equipment and inexperience resulted in numerous boats capsizing and rescue teams themselves requiring rescue.

The United Kingdom (UK) was quick to respond to Malawi's request for international support. We deployed our highly specialised International Search and Rescue (SAR) flood response team. Over a five-day period, they worked with local authorities to rescue 358 people from Makhanga in Nsanje District. Half of those brought to safety were children and those requiring urgent medical care. His Excellency President Lazarus Chakwera commended the team in person for their work when visiting the area.

We were grateful that we could provide this life-saving assistance in Malawi's time of need. But there is no doubt that immediately deployable local search and rescue teams would be better than those from the UK, who have to build in time for travel, and because scarce funding could be put to better use ahead of disasters through preparedness efforts.

Building Capacity for Future Disasters

That is why last week, the UK invested in further building Malawi's own national capacity to deliver search and rescue services to its population. A year on from Cyclone Freddy, seven members of the UK's International SAR team retraced their steps back to the World Food Programme's Humanitarian Staging Area in Bangula to deliver Boat Operations and SAR Planning courses to 34 government officials and community members.

This builds on our prior work constructing four evacuation centres, numerous flood mitigation dykes and disseminating local rainfall forecasts to assist farming communities. Furthermore, nationally-led and financed disaster preparedness aligns with the UK's new White Paper on International Development, which renews the UK's focus on local and lasting solutions.

Three Critical Areas for Support

But more is still needed. I believe that enhancing disaster preparedness requires further support in three critical areas.

In line with Malawi's own decentralisation agenda, encourage additional investments to strengthen district disaster management capacity. Communities need targeted support to be better prepared for disasters, with improved early warning systems, defined evacuation safe areas, funding available to pre-position the necessary equipment and supplies, and teams trained to provide a first phase response, including search and rescue services.

Institutionalise effective coordination mechanisms, as laid out in the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Act of 2023, with clear activation and decision-making authority, to provide the necessary guidance and leadership in preparation for and during times of emergency. Working across government departments can be incredibly difficult in the best of times. This makes it all the more necessary to formalise and regularise joint working year-round.

Future Prospects and Continued Partnership

Prioritise establishment of the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Trust Fund, while investing in strong governance mechanisms to ensure financial accountability and results on the ground. By investing in a suite of predictable funding instruments, such as risk insurance (which triggers automatically when shocks hit), funds can be available for rapid disbursement. Under an enhanced Disaster Risk Financing Strategy, we can also work towards replacing humanitarian appeals with quicker and more efficient funding instruments which are ideally delivered through existing national systems, like the scalable safety net.

Looking ahead, we encourage the Government of Malawi, under the coordination auspices of the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, to fully implement the DRM Act of 2023. It encompasses many aspects of preparedness, but requires a huge amount of work to turn words into actions that reach the most vulnerable. We remain ready to forge an even stronger relationship, which puts saving lives, building resilience and strengthening government's delivery systems at the centre of our approach. The UK remains steadfast in its commitment to support Malawi in times of need, and will continue to partner with it in efforts to build resilience in the face of worsening and uncertain climate-related challenges.