By Iommie Chiwalo
The mention of reliance on Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report by Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has brought fears that majority will die with hunger.
This has been observed in its response to Center for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) which requested DoDMA to shed more light on implementation of Cyclone Freddy recovery plan.
In a response to CDEDI, Commissioner for DoDMA Charles Kalemba highlighted that his office is not responsible for hunger eradication but the beneficiaries are identified based on MVAC report.
MVAC report has been rubbished since 2015 with Traditional leaders saying the report which DoDMA used to designate areas to benefit from relief food aid is a recipe for hunger.
It is widely believed that the assessment by MVAC team is done based on assumptions.
But CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa who was on a media tour across the affected districts insists that DoDMA should change the approach if at all the affected are to be helped.
Namiwa says the approach by DoDMA cannot help matters as what was established on the ground during a recent media tour leaves a lot to be desired and there was no need for an approach that is based on assumptions.
“People in the affected the communities are suffering and have resolved to eating bitter tubers and raw pawpaws just few months from harvesting period. So what will happen as we are approaching October,” queries Namiwa.
He has since suggested for a quick mechanism to reach out to the affected and give them necessary assistance as it is a responsibility of government to do so.
“This is the issue of life who apart from being tax payers, are also voters so there is need for prompt response to help those who are currently surviving the adverse effects of Tropical Cyclone Freddy,” he said.
Responding to corruption claims concerning diverting relief items which was presented by the affected in the camps during the media tour, Commissioner Kalemba has only said that such complaints ought to be reported to relevant authorities such as the police.
In his update, Kalemba has put it to light that Disaster Relief Management Act is not yet operational and that with relevant stakeholders are putting up implementation structures and instruments expected to be gazetted for activation next month.
