Disaster at Dodma
Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) says despite a call for donations towards assistance of those affected by recent floods, they have not received even a tambala.
Dodma commissioner for disaster management affairs Charles Kalemba told journalists at a press conference in Blantyre on Tuesday that the department has only K1.9 billion in its accounts, which he said is not enough for the relief efforts. Kalemba, however, did not state how much will be needed to help stranded people.
He said: “As of today, we have not gotten any money into the account. People have been asking what it is that they can assist and we have pledges from a number of banks while others have gone straight to assist the victims themselves.”
Dodma had put up bank accounts for well-wishers to deposit monetary support, but according to Kalemba “so far, the department has only received pledges from a few banks.”
President Lazarus Chakwera, who declared the areas hit by Tropical Storm Ana a state of disaster, on Monday appealed for urgent help.
The call for help also comes at a time when civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nsanje District have written to the government for urgent provision of food and shelter to displaced people in the camps.
The CSOs say people are in desperate need of help and want government to speedily address the infrastructure damage such roads and bridges that have cut out the entire Shire Valley.
Kalemba on Tuesday attributed the sluggish response in resource mobilisation to the absence of a comprehensive assessment report on the disaster.
He said the department has urged all partners to speed up the process so that by the end of business today, the report is available.
“We are finalising the computation of the interagency assessment report and after the report, that is when people start to do the costing of the damage. But as we are speaking, we do not have the figure of the damage and how much it will cost,” Kalemba said.
In a letter addressed to Dodma commissioner and the Office of the President and Cabinet, the Nsanje and Chikwawa Socio-Economic Development Trust and Mgumano wa Asena na Amang`anja (Mgumano), accused Dodma of not acting in a manner deserving of the emergency.
The letter signed by board chairpersons of the groupings Christopher Guta and Anthony Malunga further urged the
government to urgently restore power and piped water in the districts.
They said the prolonged power blackout in Chikwawa and Nsanje has affected social economic activities, health delivery systems and pushed up prices of items.
Reads the letter in part: “Loss of electricity power supply has led to, among others, failure to operate water treatment and distribution systems, adversely affecting hospital operations, telecommunications, lack of key stocks such fuel to run diesel/petrol powered milling facilities and a general increase of cost of living.”
Tropical Storm Ana made a landfall in Northern Mozambique on Monday, January 24, and left a trail of destruction in most southern parts of the country.
According to Dodma, the storm has killed 33 people and caused 158 injuries. About 193 558 households or 871 011 people have been affected.
Over 22 174 households have been displaced and 122 camps have been set up in 13 affected councils.
Kalemba has since assured the public that the Roads Authority is working to open up the Shire Valley and by end of business today power will have been restored.
“Nsanje will be connected as the Roads Authority is finalising the fixing of all the sections of the road that were cut off,” he said.
So far, Kalemba said organisations such as Malawi Red Cross Society, Unicef Malawi, Concern Worldwide, Partners in Health, Gift of the Givers, Save the Children, The World Food Programme and World Health Organisation are on the ground providing direct aid to district councils.
Dodma has dispatched 42 housing units to Nsanje, Phalombe, Chikwawa, Mulanje, and Zomba.
