By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Tropical Storm Ana has ripped its way through three southern African countries, causing devastation in its wake and resulting in the deaths of an estimated 77 people, with tens of thousands more people hit by its effects.
While the full extent of the damage is still being assessed by rescue workers and authorities across Madagascar, Mozambique, and Malawi — where the storm has been focused — the United Nations confirmed that tens of thousands of homes in the three countries have been destroyed, and an estimated 21,000 people have been impacted by the disaster.
Ana has also reportedly made its way to Zimbabwe, and there have been warnings of heavy rains related to the storm approaching South Africa’s East Coast.
The storm, which landed in Madagascar on Monday, has highlighted just how unprotected Southern African countries are to the impacts of climate change, with environmental and humanitarian agencies noting that the most vulnerable populations have been the most impacted by the storm.
The United Nations’ Children’s Fund (Unicef) illustrated this exact point in a statement released on Wednesday.
“The situation in some locations remains dire for children and families on the ground, with rains still coming, and water levels rising,” the statement reads. “The tropical storm sheds a light again on the risks and consequences of climate emergencies in the region, as well as the need for immediate humanitarian assistance from the onset — including in the most remote areas where access is difficult.”
