Photos: After cyclone devastation, fears of cholera mount in Malawi

Malawian health authorities have warned of an increased risk of cholera following the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy, which destroyed water systems and toilets.

The country was already battling its deadliest cholera outbreak on record when the storm landed last week, causing landslides and flooding and damaging infrastructure. Since it began last year, the outbreak has infected some 30,600 people and killed more than 1,700.

“With the floods, people’s toilets have been washed away and most people don’t have access to safe drinking water,” Storn Kabuluzi, director of health services, told the AFP news agency.

He said the country faces an “immediate danger” of rising cholera cases.

After an unprecedented rampage, Freddy caused 579 deaths in three southern African countries, including Mozambique and Madagascar. Malawi was hardest hit with at least 476 victims and nearly half a million people displaced.

“In the face of crisis and chaos, children are the most vulnerable,” said Mohamed Malick Fall, UNICEF regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa.