Govt to deploy MDF in flood-hit areas
Vice-President Everton Chimulirenji, who is also Minister responsible for Disaster Management Affairs, on Wednesday said government will start deploying Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers in areas seriously hit by floods for rescue mission.
Chimulirenji was speaking at Dimba Primary School in Traditional Authority (T/A) Masasa in Ntcheu where he distributed maize flour to flood victims donated by the International Islamic Relief Organisation of Southern Africa (Iirosa), an arm of Muslim World League.
He said: “We don’t want to lose lives to floods. We will now start deploying MDF soldiers in places with serious floods to help rescue the people while other agencies and partners will be concentrating on rehabilitation of the victims.”
MDF soldiers were once deployed on helicopters to rescue trapped flood victims in Lilongwe in 2017 when Lingadzi and Nankhaka rivers flooded and affected many areas, with areas like Mtandire being heavily affected.
Iirosa deputy regional director ML Moosa Mkhize said the group is targeting to donate 8 250 bags of maize flour weighing 25 kilogrammes each across Malawi, but 300 bags were donated in Ntcheu on Wednesday.
This year, floods have already shown an ugly face in almost all the regions according to the director of Disaster Management Affairs Harris Kachale, whose department is now distributing relief items to affected people across the country.
Chimulirenji said the January 2 floods affected 252 families in Bwanje and Phanga, of which 65 are displaced.
He said the department has provided the families with food items, buckets blankets and plastic papers for reconstruction of their houses while they live with their relatives.
