This week’s bulletin contains the latest information about Malawi and New Zealand.
Malawi
Start date: 17 March 2023
End date: ongoing
Incident: force majeure situation following cyclone Freddy
The designated operator of Malawi, Malawi Post, wishes to inform that Cyclone Freddy, which hit the Southern Region of Malawi, caused very strong winds, floods, landslides and mudslides. Hundreds of people have died, thousands are displaced, and many people are missing.
There is significant damage to infrastructure, including offices and houses, and some roads are also impassable. Post offices and postal staff have also been affected: for example, Muloza post office was completely submerged, and the roofs of offices at Blantyre and Chichiri were damaged, leading to damage to office equipment and furniture.
Currently, it is not possible to establish contacts with around eight post offices. Most offices in the affected area have been closed to ensure the safety of customers and staff. Given this situation, Malawi Post has declared a force majeure situation.
New Zealand
Start date: 14 February 2023
End date: ongoing
Incident: cyclone Gabrielle – update
Further to incident bulletins 17.02.2023 and 10.03.2023, the designated operator of New Zealand, NZ Post, wishes to inform that the local states of emergency in response to Cyclone Gabrielle were lifted on 14 March 2023 for both the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti/Gisborne regions.
Both regions are now in a “response and transition to recovery” phase. Owing to damage to the road infrastructure in these regions, only some roads are now open, and only during daylight hours. NZ Post can move postal freight into these regions, but due to restrictions it will be late to meet processing cycles, meaning that it will be carrying items over to the next day for delivery (i.e., they will be delayed by one day). NZ Post has arranged a new road transport route from the lower North Island to Tairāwhiti/Gisborne which will help relieve the postal backlogs. However, both regions continue to have transport, processing and delivery delays.
