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Disasters kill 10, affect 6 047 households

At least 10 people have died while 6 047 households have been affected by disasters since July this year.

Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula on Monday confirmed the number of households affected and deaths, saying the country has largely been ravaged by strong winds and stormy rains.

A rainstorm last week blew off roofs of some houses in Chikwawa

“So far, a total of 6 047 households have been affected. The Department of Disaster Management Affairs has registered 10 weather related deaths, seven of them after being hit by lightning and three as a result of collapsed walls due to strong winds and stormy rains. The department has also recorded a total of 44 injuries,” he said.

Some of the affected councils include Mangochi, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Chiradzulu, Mulanje, Mchinji, Nkhata Bay, Nsanje, Balaka, Ntcheu and Phalombe.

According to Khamula, Dodma has reached out to 4 020 households with relief items and the exercise is on-going.

He said the department will reach out to all the remaining households and those that might be affected along the way.

“The package included food and non-food items such as rice, plastic sheets for temporary roofing, kitchen utensils, tents and temporary housing units.

Asked if the department has enough funding to respond to disasters Khamula said the department deals with emergencies; hence, one could not foretell, the resources they would require.

“Just to point out that the department does not work in isolation. We work with various humanitarian partners and by the end of the day, we manage to reach out to almost all the affected people,” he said.

Khamula added that the department has planned to establish four more warehouses in strategic places of the country for stockpiling and repositioning relief items. The warehouses will be in Mzuzu, Mangochi, Bangula in Nsanje and either Karonga or Chitipa in the North.

He said the move will help to speed up the process of providing relief assistance to the affected people.

Malawi experiences disasters every year, especially during the rainy season.

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