Disasters affect 10 000 households, kill 25
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) says natural disasters have affected 10 086 households, killing 25 people and injuring 94 between July and November this year.
In a written response yesterday, Dodma spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula said the deaths included 16 caused by lightning strikes and nine as a result of collapsed walls due to strong winds and rainstorms.
He said: “So far, Dodma has reached out to slightly over 6 000 affected households. The provision of relief assistance is ongoing and the department will reach out to all the remaining households, and those that may be affected along the way.
“The relief packages include food and non-food items such as rice, plastic sheets for temporary roofing, kitchen utensils, tents and housing units.”
Khamula mentioned Dedza, Mangochi, Lilongwe, Chiradzulu, Mulanje, Mchinji, Nkhata Bay, Nsanje and Phalombe as the hardest hit councils.
On Saturday, incessant rains caused flash floods in some parts of Mzuzu. The affected areas included Zolozolo, West Luwinga, Chibanja, Masasa and Mchengautuba where some houses partly or completely collapsed and personal property damaged.
Speaking when he issued a rainfall outlook for the 2021/22 rainfall season, Department of Meteorological Services and Climate Change Management director Jolam Nkhokwe stressed that climate change has largely contributed to more occurrence of extreme weather events such as heavy rains, leading to floods and pockets of prolonged dry spells.
In recent years, Malawi and many countries across the globe are feeling the impact of climate change and continue to face frequent and intense droughts, storms, heatwaves and rising sea levels.
The 2020 World Disaster Report by International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies rated Malawi as a highly vulnerable and fragile country stating that in 2019 it was the second worst hit after Iran.
As countries across the globe recently pledged zero-carbon emission by 2040, a statement commissioned by the United Nations in partnership with Climate Vulnerable countries (V20) indicates that interest rates on debt of V20 countries are already higher than they would otherwise be due to climate vulnerability.
According to the 2020/21 National Budget allocation, the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources was allocated about K404 million.
