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Items filtered by date: October 2021
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has called on councils in the country to focus on disaster preparedness and risk reduction efforts in managing disasters.
Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs; Charles Kalemba made the call on Wednesday, 27th October, 2021 when he and a team from DoDMA held disaster preparedness meetings with district civil protection committees (DCPCs), which are structures responsible for the implementation of various disaster risk management (DRM) programmes at district level.
Speaking in Blantyre and Mulanje Districts, Kalemba said it was high time the country moved away from fire-fighting approach in managing disasters.
“We need to adopt a new approach, let us enhance preparedness, risk reduction and resilience efforts. We should not be having situations in which communities are rendered helpless when we could have prevented such incidents with proper preparedness and risk reduction interventions.
“DCPCs are not just there to respond to disasters but to come up with strategies that will ensure that impact of disasters is minimised. Response is so expensive, reducing disaster risks save lives and property, the money we spend in responding to disasters can be channeled towards progressive development if we were to focus more on mitigating measures,” said Kalemba.
The Commissioner’s remarks were echoed by the District Commissioner for Blantyre, Bennet Nkasala who said there was need for councils to identify possible hazards and mitigate their impact.
In a related development, 38 households (184 people) from Tipoti Village, T/A Sunganinzeru in Mulanje District have been displaced following a strong winds disaster which occurred on Tuesday. They have since sought refuge at Chisomo Seventh Day Church within the Traditional Authority’s jurisdiction.
Mulanje District Council has provided the affected houses with food as DoDMA is making arrangements to dispatch relief items, today. Kalemba and his team visited the affected households soon after holding a meeting with the Mulanje DCPC.
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) on Wednesday, 20th October, 2021 provided relief items to 42 families whose houses were set ablaze by an irate mob in T/A Chiseka, Lilongwe District, in the wee hours of Tuesday, 19th October.
DoDMA has swiftly provided the relief items, which included food and non-food items such as rice and kitchen utensils, following a report from Lilongwe District Council which indicated that the households were in dire need of relief assistance.
“The families have sought refuge in nearby churches and schools. Their household property, including foodstuffs and kitchen utensils were burnt by an irate mob,” reads part of the report dated 19th October.
Reports indicate that the mob set the houses on fire in retaliation to the death of their relation; a motorcycle operator, who was heavily assaulted and had his motorcycle stolen by unknown assailants, on 15th October and later died at Kamuzu Central Hospital.
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) on Wednesday, 20th October, provided relief assistance to 938 households who were recently affected by strong winds in T/A Chiwalo, Phalombe District.
Forty-One houses were completely damaged and 887 had their roofs blown off following strong winds that blew over Chimbalanga, Chinani, Nambeta, Nambazo, Chiwalo, Mtemanyama, Mulambe and Thambula villages.
“Following the incident, a five-year-old boy died and three adults (two females and one male) sustained injuries,” reads part of the report from the District Council.
DoDMA has since provided the affected households with food and non-food items such as rice and kitchen utensils.
One of the affected persons, 40-year-old Steria Mpando, said the assistance came at the right time.
“This (the relief items) will assist us as we are trying to get back to our feet. We are saving some money for reconstruction,” said Mpando.

A preliminary report from Lilongwe District Council indicates that 28 families have been left homeless and require relief assistance after an irate mob set ablaze their houses in T/A Chiseka, Lilongwe on Monday, 18th October, 2021, following the death of their relation.

The report indicates that the departed, a motorcycle operator, was heavily assaulted and had his motorcycle stolen by unknown assailants, on 15th October.

“He later died at Kamuzu Central Hospital and it is alleged that his relations mobilised themselves and set on fire a total of 28 houses in Chikwera Village, [where the suspect was believed to be hiding in], damaging food and non-food items in the process. No injuries or deaths have been recorded,” reads part of the report.

Meanwhile, Lilongwe District Council is conducting assessments to establish the extent of damage. The council is expected to compile a detailed report which will be shared with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) for its action.

In a related development, stormy rains have damaged a number of houses in T/A Nkanda, Mulanje in the wee hours of Tuesday, 19th October. The Council is conducting assessments to establish the extent of damage.

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) on Thursday, October 14, 2021 provided relief assistance to 156 households who were affected by a fire accident that occurred on Njalo Island, T/A Chiwalo, in Phalombe District.
A report by the Phalombe District Council indicated that 110 male-headed and 46 female-headed households were affected and needed relief assistance when fire gutted down their household property on 7th October.
“No injury or death has been recorded but the affected population, 532 in total; require shelter materials, food and kitchen utensils,” reads part of the report dated 10th October, 2021.
DoDMA has since provided rice, beans, plastics sheets for temporary roofing, kitchen utensils and blankets to the affected people.
The department has also provided relief assistance to 62 households who were affected by strong winds which blew over areas in T/A Nkanda, Mulanje District, on 10th October.
Thursday, 14 October 2021 18:16

Strong winds affect 174 households in Nsanje

A preliminary report from Nsanje District Council indicates that strong winds that blew over some areas in T/A Tengani, on Monday, 11th October, 2021 have affected 174 households.
The report further states that no deaths or injuries were recorded during the assessment conducted by the Area Civil Protection Committee (a structure involved in the implementation of various disaster risk management programmes at traditional authority level) and volunteers working under the Malawi Red Cross Society.
Meanwhile, the District Council says it is compiling a detailed report which will be shared with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) for its action.
The department is making arrangements to dispatch relief items to the affected people.
13th October is the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR). The day is commemorated every year as one way of raising awareness on efforts being made to build resilience of communities and nations to disasters.
This year’s IDDR will be commemorated under the theme “Substantially enhance international cooperation to developing countries through adequate and sustainable support to complement their national actions for implementation of the present framework by 2030.”
In Malawi, the theme has been domesticated to “International Cooperation for Disaster Resilient Malawi,” with a call for increased technical and financial support for climate change adaptation and resilience building programmes, to provide real and lasting protection against the impact of major events such as droughts and floods; among others.
Cognisant of the Covid-19 pandemic, the main event marking the commemoration will be a panel discussion that will be held on 13th October, and aired live on Zodiak TV and MBC Radio 2, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, under the theme ‘International Cooperation for Disaster Resilient Malawi.’ The panel discussion will also be streamed live on the Department of Disaster Management Affairs’ and Zodiak’s Official Facebook Page. There will be also live performances from musicians.
DoDMA is, therefore, calling upon Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Civil Society Organisations, Faith Based Organisations, UN Agencies, Local Authorities, the Donor Community, Private Sector, Academia, Communities, the Media and the general public to commemorate this year’s IDDR by reflecting on how best to amplify international cooperation at all levels for a disaster resilient Malawi.
Disaster risk reduction is everyone’s responsibility!
Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs, Charles Kalemba has called on councils and all disaster risk management (DRM) stakeholders to enhance efforts in assessing disaster risks.
Kalemba made the call on Friday, 1st October, 2021, in Salima during a coordination meeting comprising officials from the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, Relief and Rehabilitation Officers (RROs) stationed in councils across the country and members of the Early Warning System Sub Committee.
“Some dwellings, roads and bridges are disasters in waiting, let us make formal assessments in close consultation with stakeholders and report to relevant authorities for action. This will enable us reduce disaster risks and minimise losses emanating from disasters,” said Kalemba.
He further called upon councils to create warehouses in strategic places for the storage of relief items so that people affected by various disasters should be reached out with relief assistance on time.
In her remarks, Malawi Red Cross Society’s (MRCS) Director of Programmes, Prisca Chisala, said the organisation is committed to complementing government’s efforts in implementing various DRM programmes.
The one-day- meeting, which was held with funding from MRCS, discussed reporting modalities and DRM issues, financial management, devolved DRM functions and the implementation of the forthcoming Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme (LS-FIRP), among others.
In June this year, MRCS trained 34 DoDMA members of staff in administering first aid during emergencies.

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2024-03-28 08:27