Nsanje North Legislator Calls for Delay in Decommissioning Evacuation Camps

NSANJE, Malawi-Nsanje North legislator, Enock Masauko Chizuzu, has urged the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) and non-governmental organizations to delay the decommissioning of evacuation camps in Nsanje, writes Cornelius Lupenga.

According to Chizuzu, the communities are yet to be furnished with recovery materials to aid their resettlement in their respective areas.

Chizuzu made the statement after attending an Ordinary District Full Council meeting, where he emphasized that flood victims were only receiving responses from DoDMA and NGOs in the camps.

He noted that if the camps were decommissioned, it would mean people would go without the necessary materials to rebuild their shelters.

The parliamentarian argued that it was too early to decommission the camps, considering the severe devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

He observed that his constituency, as well as Nsanje, had suffered significant damages, and people had nothing to use for their resettlement.

Chizuzu explained, "The tropical cyclone Freddy survivals are in two categories: some have lost crops only in their gardens, while others have lost both houses and crops, hence the need for DoDMA, and NGOs should take it seriously before dealing with the decommissioning process."

Chizuzu also highlighted that decommissioning the camps without equipping them with food, shelter, and clothing would be meaningless.

He acknowledged that there were congestion issues in some evacuation centres, but not in all the camps.

Nsanje District Chief Planning Officer Smith Mnenula stated that the timeframe for the camps was only 90 days, and after this period, no one would be allowed to stay in the camps.

He revealed that the World Food Programme had targeted around 32,416 households out of the 41,000 affected families for a three-month response program through the Malawi Red Cross Society.

Mnenula expressed concern about congestion in some evacuation centres, which could lead to the outbreak of diseases such as cholera and scabies if hygiene practices were not followed.

In conclusion, Chizuzu's statement highlights the importance of ensuring that communities have the necessary materials to rebuild their shelters before evacuating the camps.

The delay in decommissioning the camps will allow DoDMA and NGOs to address these concerns, ensuring that flood victims can resettle safely and comfortably.