Goodall allocates K1bn for disasters

Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe has allocated an additional K1 billion towards the disaster relief programme following flooding and damage to property in 15 of the country’s 28 districts.

The extra money, which comes after the initial K500 million that government pumped into the programme, will be factored in the revised estimates that Gondwe is expected to present on Friday as part of the Mid-Year Budget Review report.

However, the expected allocation towards disasters is far below the required K38 billion (about $81 million) for a full response which could leave the 200 000 displaced people vulnerable and at risk of hunger and diseases in the camps where they are seeking shelter.

According to the fifth disaster situation report jointly compiled by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma), as of January 30 2015, the Preliminary Response Plan (PRP) only had 21 percent of the required funding, which includes resources from government and other partners.

“The PRP has been funded at 21 percent, with big gaps in critical humanitarian sectors, which needs confirmed financial support in this first stage of the emergency response,” the report reads.

But Gondwe said in an interview yesterday, government was assured of assistance from various partners.

“The allocation in the budget will be the government’s contribution towards the disasters,” he said.

So far, governments of Zambia, Japan, South Africa, Canada, Germany, Norway, Iceland and United Kingdom have made cash donations towards the relief programme.

Local stakeholders, including the private sector, have also provided some resources towards the disaster in one of the best coordinated humanitarian responses in recent times.

The PRP also estimated the need for $17.9 million (about K8.41 billion) for 26 000 metric tonnes of maize.

The relief efforts still need $3.8 million (about K1.78 billion) to cover health requirements, $8.4 million (about K3.9 billion) to cater for logistics requirements and $1.8 million (about K846 million) to cover water and sanitation requirements.

In an earlier update on the disasters, Vice-President Saulos Chilima, who is also minister responsible for disaster response management, said the country needed at least K5 billion to rehabilitate and provide relief to the victims of floods and hailstorms. But he had indicated that the figure was just a base and would rise on further expert assessments.

Then, government had announced that it had in its budget K500 million for disaster response that was in the proposed estimates of the 2014/15 budget.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), in an update on the disasters and quoting Dodma, said 638 000 people have been affected nationwide with 174 000 people displaced in three most affected districts—Chikwawa, Nsanje and Phalombe—as of January 30.

The report also gives the figure of 79 deaths and 153 people missing in Nsanje District.