Move to safe zones or face the law—Dodma

 Commissioner for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma), Charles Kalemba, has told people residing in disaster, prone areas to relocate to safe zones as settling in such areas is against the law.

He said this in Nkhata Bay last Tuesday when Dodma officials visited flood survivors in the district.

Kalemba said some people have deliberately chosen to ignore the law by deliberately constructing houses in disaster-prone zones.

He said, for example, Soche Hill and Ndirande in Blantyre, Mtandire and some parts around Area 47 in Lilongwe, Luyanfwa area in Mzuzu are disaster-prone areas, yet thousands of people have chosen to settle and build in such areas.

Kalemba said: “We have laws governing settlements, for example, no one is supposed to settle 30 metres from the river banks, so anyone doing anything in those areas is doing that illegally.”

In his remarks, Karonga district commissioner Paul Kalilombe, said they have failed to convince people to move out of disaster-prone areas because of various reasons.

Tropical Storm Ana on January 24 brought strong winds, heavy rains and resulted in floods in 17 Southern and Central Region districts of Malawi.

Authorities say 870 000 people have been affected, including about 190 000 who have been displaced, with 46 deaths, 18 people missing and 206 injured.

Before the storm, some of these areas already faced food insecurity and needed food aid.

Most of the displaced are living in informal displacement sites such as schools, community buildings and other temporary shelters.

Following inter-agency assessments during the last few days the immediate needs have been identified in the following sectors water, sanitation and hygiene, food security, protection, shelter and household items, and health.

In a statement on January 26, the government declared a State of Disaster in 15 districts and appealed for humanitarian assistance.