K290bn estimated for Malawi disaster recovery: VP Chimulirenji launches report

An assessment conducted on the 2019 Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) floods has estimated K 290 billion as the amount needed for recovery and reconstruction of damaged goods and property.

According to the report the estimation of needs is based on the value of the capital damage, the cost of quality improvements, technological modernization, relocation, disaster risk reduction measures, livelihood, and social-economic and environmental recovery activities.

Speaking in Lilongwe during the official launch of the 2019 Floods Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report on Tuesday, Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, who is also Minister responsible for Disaster Risk Management, Everton Chimulirenji appealed to development partners to assist government in soliciting technical and financial needs.

He said with the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the country, the Government reaffirms its commitment to improving resilience, to building back better, and to further integrating early recovery approaches that focus on minimizing the negative impacts

“There is need for a will of purpose in restoring damaged properties and we need to stand together as a nation to lessen the effects and shocks of the disaster,” Chimulirenji pointed out.

He added, “That government is committed to restoring the livelihoods of internally displaced individuals.”

The Vice President said the report would give a full understanding of the effects and impact of the disaster and to inform recovery and resilience interventions.

Chimulirenji said the devastating heavy rains and floods associated with the disaster resulted in substantial damage to infrastructure and physical assets and changes in economic production flows resulting in loss in both the public and private domains.

Director of Risk Reduction, at the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, James Chiusiwa said the country is highly vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather events due to its location along the Great Rift Valley and environmental degradation.

He said due to the effects of the 2019 floods it was important to come up with a comprehensive report to assess the impact of the damage caused by the floods.

“In this regard on March 19 2019, Government through the Ministry of Finance Economic Planning and Development, submitted a formal request to the World Bank for assistance to conduct a Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) of the floods,” Chiusiwa recalled.

The Director said the disaster effect was highest in the Social Sector whereby the Housing Sub-Sector proportionately suffered the most damage followed by the Education and Health sub-sectors.

In early March 2019, Malawi experienced the worst tropical cyclone that brought heavy rains and strong winds, severe flooding that negatively affected people’s lives, livelihoods and socio-economic infrastructure.

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