The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has called on councils in the country to enhance efforts aimed at reducing disaster risks if the country were to make significant strides in lessening disaster losses.

DoDMA’s Director of Disaster Response and Recovery Moses Chimphepo made the call on Monday in Salima District, when he officially opened a one-week training of trainers for four District Civil Protection Committees (DCPCs); organised with financial and technical assistance from UNICEF Malawi.

Chimphepo said year in and year out, the country responds to various disasters; particularly floods, strong winds, dry spells, droughts, lightning and road accidents.

“Government and its humanitarian partners are spending huge sums of money on the provision of relief assistance to the affected households. While provision of relief assistance to people affected by disasters is necessary to alleviate suffering, there is need to address the underlying risk factors in order to reduce the impacts of disasters in the country,” said Chimphepo.

He then called upon the DCPC members to extend the acquired knowledge to area and village civil protection committees-local structures responsible for implementing various disaster risk management (DRM) programmes at group village and traditional authority’s levels, respectively.

In her remarks, UNICEF Malawi Emergency Specialist, Estere Tsoka said there is need to enhance skills and knowledge so that councils respond effectively to emergencies.

“Your role as local councils in the humanitarian setting is highly recognised, it is important that there should be some efforts to invest in the capacity of local councils for effective implementation of disaster risk management programmes,” said Tsoka.

In March 2019, Cyclone Idai-induced floods affected 17 councils of the country, leaving 60 people dead, 672 injured and 87,000 displaced. A Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report indicated that the total value of the effects of the March 2019 floods stood at US$220.2m while US$370m was required for recovery and reconstruction.

The training, which brought together DCPC members from Dowa, Ntchisi, Nkhotakota and Mchinji was organised to equip DCPCs with knowledge in DRM and effectively carry out their roles.

Dedza District Council has trained journalists plying their trade within its jurisdiction in Disaster Risk Management (DRM).

Speaking in Lilongwe on Thursday (19th August, 2021) when he officially opened the two-day training session, Dedza District Commissioner Emmanuel Bulukutu said it was of paramount importance that journalists should be reporting from an informed point of view.

“Journalists are key stakeholders in disaster risk management and can best serve the interests of the marginalised communities when they have a better understanding on issues they are reporting on. With proper training and understanding, journalists will report professionally and ethically,” said Bulukutu.

He then called upon the journalists to work closely with the council in efforts aimed at reducing disaster risks and uplifting the lives of communities in Dedza.

In June this year, Machinga and Mangochi District Councils jointly held a session in which they oriented journalists on DRM.

Today, Malawi joins the rest of the world in commemorating the World Humanitarian Day (WHD), which falls on 19th August.

The United Nations General Assembly designated the 19th of August as a day of remembrance and honour for 22 aid workers (including the special representative of the secretary general to Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello) who were assassinated in the bombing of the UN Headquarters in Iraq on 19th August, 2003.

This year’s commemorations are being held under the theme “Human Race” and focus on taking up global action to combat climate change while standing in solidarity with vulnerable populations around the world.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs and its humanitarian partners will not hold events requiring physical presence in marking the commemorations.

The department leads the commemoration of the day with a call for all stakeholders at all levels to join hands in efforts aimed at reducing the impact of climate change and lend a helping hand in the provision of humanitarian assistance.

Communities from TA Chowe in Mangochi District have called for concerted efforts in the implementation of disaster risk management (DRM) programmes for the country to make significant strides in reducing disaster risks.

Chairperson of Chowe Civil Protection Committee, Fundson Goliati, made the call on Tuesday when DRM stakeholders monitored the implementation of the National Resilience Strategy (NRS) under the Titukulane Project.

Goliati said it was high time stakeholders joined hands in efforts aimed at mitigating the impact of disasters which are impeding development works at both community and national levels.

“Communities are in need of items such as megaphones, cell phones, bicycles and whistles which are required in disseminating flood early warning messages, yet there are other stakeholders who have the capacity to provide the materials but are working in isolation, let us all join hands for the good cause,” said Goliati.

In his remarks, Director of Disaster Risk Reduction in the department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) Dyce Nkhoma concurred with Goliati, saying it is expensive to respond to and recover from disasters than carrying out mitigating works.

“We need to work in close collaboration at all levels. Let us all sacrifice our time and energy in reducing disaster risks,” said Nkhoma.

Titukulane is a five-year USAID-funded-project which started in 2019 and aims at providing sustainable, equitable and resilient food and nutrition security for ultra-poor and chronically vulnerable households in Mangochi and Zomba Districts.

Among others, the US$75 million Project which is being implemented by CARE Malawi in collaboration with Emmanuel International, International Food Policy Research Institute, Save the Children, Water Aid and National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi, supports the implementation of the NRS.

The NRS is a12-year strategy led by DoDMA and aims at breaking the cycle of food and nutrition insecurity in the country by bridging development and humanitarian interventions and prioritizing a continuum of more predictable livelihood support that target vulnerable households.

Government through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, on Sunday, 1st August, 2021 provided coffins, transportation and financial support towards funeral arrangements to 21 families whose relations died in a road accident in Ntcheu District.

Twenty-one people (18 adults and three children under the age of three) died while nine sustained various degree of injuries when a 36-seater minibus they were travelling in collided with a truck at Mlanda in Ntcheu District during the wee hours of Sunday. The departed and the injured were part of a Nchalo-based women’s guild (commonly referred to as Chi Secret) who had paid a visit to their Ntcheu counterparts on Thursday and were heading back home.

Government has also provided financial support to the injured persons to cater for expenses during their stay in hospital.

Speaking at Dedza District Hospital during a ceremony organised to see off members of the bereaved families and the injured who have since been referred to Chikwawa District Hospital, Deputy Director of Disaster Response Fyawupi Mwafongo said the government was deeply saddened by the accident.

In his remarks, District Commissioner for Ntcheu Francis Matewere; commended government for the in-kind, financial and moral support.