Amnesty International has called for Malawi and Mozambique to be compensated for the loss and damage caused by Cyclone Freddy, as they are among the least responsible for climate change.
The storm has claimed more than 100 lives and injured over 100 people, becoming one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the southern hemisphere.
According to a statement signed by the institution’s Interim Director for East and Southern Africa Tigere Chagutah, Malawi and Mozambique are facing diverse effects of climate change, a situation driven by the world’s richest nations.
“Mozambique and Malawi are among the countries least responsible for climate change, yet they are facing the full force of storms that are intensifying due to global warming driven mostly by carbon emissions from the world’s richest nations,” reads part of the statement.
Amnesty International has also urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the international community to mobilize the necessary resources to aid rescue efforts in the countries hardest hit by Cyclone Freddy.
“The focus must be on saving lives and providing relief in a manner that complies with human rights standards for those who have lost their homes and livelihoods,” reads the statement.
Cyclone Freddy destroyed homes and caused widespread flooding in central Mozambique in Zambezia on 11 March, leading to communication outages.
After hitting Mozambique, the cyclone then lashed Malawi with heavy rains, causing landslides and flooding, killing over 100 people and displacing over 5000 people.
Freddy is one of the longest-lasting tropical cyclones on record, having first made landfall in mid-February before afflicting Madagascar, Mauritius, and Mozambique.