Concern Worldwide develops Lilongwe disaster response plan

In a bid to strengthen disaster risk reduction interventions in Lilongwe, Concern Worldwide has drawn up a contingency plan for the city.

The organisation has led the Lilongwe City Council and all partners involved in coming up with the framework which will guide responsive activities when disaster strikes.

Concern Worldwide Malawi programmes coordinator Madalitso Munthali said with the Covid-19 situation, there is need to identify the partners supporting which thematic areas.

“It will act as a fundraising tool as donors will be coming to support well-spelt out areas in the plan. It will also help with coordination based on an impending disaster or one that has occurred,” he said.

According to Munthali, the contingency plan will work hand in hand with the national disaster plan.

Lilongwe City Council development strategy manager Gift Kasamira said the contingency plan had come at the right time as Lilongwe has proven to be a disaster-prone place.

“In the past, we did not anticipate Lilongwe to be one of the hotspots. But over the years, specifically starting from 2014 then 2017 and two years ago, we realised the city was being affected.

The contingency plan has been developed by the Lilongwe Urban Civil Protection Committee compromising members from Lilongwe Water Board, Escom, the Red Cross Society and the Department of Disaster Risk Management.