The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) has indicated that Malawi needs USD1.4 billion for the country to recover from effects of disasters.
This was disclosed by the Director of Disaster Preparedness and Response, Reverend Moses Owen Chimphepo Speaking in Mponela on Tuesday during the opening of a two-day Capacity Building training on Disaster Risk Management Communication for journalists.
“Malawi is exposed to a number of hydro-meteorological hazards, including floods, droughts, hailstorms, strong winds and landslides. Between 1979 and 2023, disasters have affected nearly 29 million people and have resulted in over 8,500 casualties.
“The frequency of climate-related hazards in Malawi have been increasing in recent decades. Factors such as population growth, urbanization and environmental degradation continue to increase the country’s vulnerability to hazards. Recurrent disasters in Malawi have had far-reaching impacts on food, energy, health, water and other sectors of the country’s economy. In particular, these disaster events have undermined the stability of livelihoods among the most vulnerable communities, including women, children and people with disabilities. In the last four years alone, total loss and damage has amounted to $921 million, while recovery and reconstruction needs amounted to $1.4 billion.
“Esteemed participants, in January 2022, a tropical depression that formed in the Indian Ocean moved into Mozambique and developed into a moderate tropical storm named Ana. The storm affected nearly one million people, displaced 190,000, left 46 dead, 18 missing and 206 injured.
“Barely two months after Ana, another cyclone; Gombe, hit most parts of southern Malawi, affecting nearly 160,000 people, with 50,000 displaced, 39 dead and 20 injured,” he said
Chimphepo said from 11th to 15th March 2023, Freddy, the longest lasting cyclone, influenced incessant rains over the southern part of Malawi.
“Traditional Authority Nkhulambe alone, in Phalombe District, recorded over 1000mm of rainfall in a space of four days. On the mountain and hill slopes, the incessant rains induced avalanches of mudslides that swept villages on the edges of the slopes causing untold damage to structures, deaths or injuries to human beings and animals along the way. Freddy affected over 2.2 million people, of which 650,000 were displaced. The cyclone left 679 dead and 537 missing.
Recent cyclones Chido and Jude also caused serious damages in most parts of the southern region.
“From the statistics, we can all agree that occurrence of disasters is a matter of concern for the nation and we need to triple our efforts and approach in reducing disaster risks and losses. Most importantly, we need to join efforts in building resilience of the most vulnerable communities and the nation,” he said
The training is being conducted with support from Concern Worldwide.
