Malawi not ready for such disasters

This week, just like the week before, the stories that have hogged the limelight have basically been the same; the devastation caused by the Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

That 10 days after the cyclone landed in Malawi some people are still missing should tell everyone how serious the disaster has been on our nation. It is no surprise that every entity out there has spared a moment to see how they can contribute to the ongoing rescue efforts.

For some of us who have had the privilege to visit the evacuation camps and hear the stories from the survivors themselves, they could not have been more horrifying and heartbreaking. The upset that the cyclone caused is unimaginable.

What can one make of instances where someone loses 12 members of their family at once? How can a six-year-old cope with a sudden loss of both parents and siblings? How can one rebuild their life after losing every single property they had?

These chilling stories are all being sheltered under the cold and not-so-homely 533 camps set up in the 12 affected districts. in the Southern Region These are stories that are being told by the old, the young, mothers and fathers.

Given the magnitude of the damage caused and the need for response, there has been a genuine rush of efforts from different quarters as they ponder on how best those affected can be reached and assisted.

If you go by what is being published, you may be fooled to think the response has been overwhelming. But you get near the camps, that is when you meet the reality. There is a lot that still requires to be done.

There have been constant calls from different stakeholders to ensure that the resources that individuals and organisations are mobilising are not just concentrated in the same camps, mainly those situated in urban areas.

On Saturday, together with the membership of Blantyre-based entertainment joint HS Winehouse, we made a small trip to Lunzu where we visited two camps. Our first stop was at Katete 2 Primary School and then Chiwande Community-based Organisation both in the area of  Traditional Authority Kapeni.

Lunzu is a small trip from Blantyre. Minus the traffic congestion, it is one trip which should normally take one under 30 minutes to complete. But when we got to the camps, we were stunned to learn that was the first assistance that they had received since the disaster fell.

The case of those camps is not isolated. There are many who are yet to be reached! When one is sick, just a greeting or a visit from a friend brings a reaffirming feeling. Just a mere visit to these camps with the little that people can manage can make a whole lot of difference.

It is unfortunate that in some camps in the urban set-up, the survivors have gone as far as making demands of what they would prefer to eat and what not. That feeling of entitlement is very unbecoming. If they had a feel of what their compatriots are going through elsewhere, they could have just thanked their gods for what they are being given.

With everything that has been going on in the last two weeks, it is no surprise that players in the creative industry have admitted that their planned schedules have been disturbed. A number of artists have had to postpone their planned events. It just had to be. Understandably.

It is encouraging how many of them have joined the trail in playing a role in the response efforts. That is the kind of spirit that will take us to the end. The damage by the Tropical Cyclone Freddy is massive and the road to recovery is yet to begin. Certainly Malawi is not ready for such disasters.