Malawi situation 'still dire' weeks after storm
Earlier in March, Storm Freddy hit Mozambique and Malawi for the second time in a month, causing extensive flooding and the destruction of numerous homes.
Boakyewaa Lawrencia 
Malawi's information minister told the BBC's Newsday program that the situation there is "still dire" two weeks after Storm Freddy wreaked havoc in the country's southern area.
More than 600 people have died, according to Moses Kunkuyu, and many displaced people are still residing in camps that offer food and refuge.
He claimed that flooding had washed away dozens of bridges, making it challenging to deliver urgently needed aid.
The minister claimed that due to congestion, there was a danger of water-borne disease outbreaks in the camps.
In the storm-affected areas, he claimed there was a catastrophe in the health and education sectors.
Many areas are presently without power as repair work on electricity lines damaged by a previous cyclone is still ongoing.
"As a result, even the health industry is currently overburdened. Because the majority of the shelters established are at schools, educational facilities continue to be impacted, he said.
According to him, the government was forced to make the difficult choice to relocate the displaced people from the schools to tents that would act as interim shelters as a result of the schools' reopening.
Additionally, he mentioned that the storm had destroyed at least 500 schools.
More emergency aid has been requested, according to the minister.
