Malawi ruling PP consoles Karonga flood victims relief support
The ruling Peoples’ Party has said it appreciates the extent of damage and suffering people in Karonga have endured with the floods that hit the district’s area of Traditional Authority Kilupula on Wednesday and said it will implore on the government to quickly address the problems people are facing.
According to the assessment report, 2,238 households have been affected following the collapse of 463 houses while several other families have been displaced from their homes.
A 31 year old woman from Mwakabighili Village in the area is reported to have her arm fractured when a wall of the house fell. She has since been treated as an out -patient.
The report further says that most of the toilets in the affected villages have collapsed and the existing ones can no longer be used since they are flooded.
In the absence of evacuation centres, schools have been used instead, though it is just over a week before schools open which means there is need to find other places for the displaced families
PP deputy Secretary General Frank Mwenifumbo and Provisional Chair Reverend Brown Soko, Secretary Good Kaira and Treasurer Lylod Njaliwa toured the fllod prone areas on Thursday.
“This is a big disaster. It’s terrible. We have seen it with our ownon eyes and we are amazed at how people have survived that kind of disaster. We have pledged to the people that the government would act swiftly,” Mwenifumbo said.
He called on all Malawians regardless of political, religious or racial affiliation to assist the people of Karonga saying “this is a time when we put politics aside and look after the lives of people”
According to district’s water officer, Aaron Chaponda, Karonga received 115.5 millimeters of rainfall “which is extremely high and if the trend continues, more households will be affected.”
Karonga DC representative Chiza Chirambo said his office is struggling to contain the situation because of lack of resources.
“But what we have done with the few resources we have is to buy plastic sheets and some blankets,” Chirambo said.
He said since Karonga was declared a disaster area there is need for government to equip it with emergency kits so that it responds to such calamities swiftly.
Chirambo also said apart from PP only the Christian NGO World Vision has so far assisted the people with water purification chemicals to avert a possible exposition of water borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery.
Kasimile Mwanjasi told Nyasa Times that he had lost five hectares of maize and one hectare of maize.
“I have nothing now in terms of food. All my hopes have vanished,” said Mwanjasi of Mwanjasi village, who has a family of 17 people.
He asked government to expedite the distribution of relief items saying the delay could have severe consequences.
Funny Mwangolowa lost her house which collapsed due to the deluge.
“I picked my children and ran away to mu sister’s house,” Mwangolowa said.
In December 2009, a series of earthquakes and aftershocks of magnitudes ranging from 4.6 to 6.2, described by experts as the country’s worst ever, hit the district and left thousands of residents homeless.
