By Robert Nayeja
Nsanje, August 25, Mana: Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs, Charles Kalemba visited 23 villages that relocated from the flood-prone area of Makhanga to Group Village Head Kalonga in Nsanje on Saturday and Sunday to assure the relocated communities that government will continue providing them with basic social needs for better livelihood.
He said government appreciates the challenges the relocated communities are facing and also pledged humanitarian support.
“We will continue providing food and we are still discussing with the district commissioner on how best we can provide the necessary support for people to recover,” he added.
He noted with concern that people at Makhanga were prone to floods each year, such that some people had to seek refuge in trees.
“Each year people at Makhanga were affected by floods. Some people spent days in trees during Cyclone Freddy,” the commissioner added.
Kalemba said the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) was impressed that people at Makhanga voluntarily decided to relocate and were slowly settling in the new place where the department drilled boreholes to ensure relocated communities access to safe and portable water.
“We have also constructed roads to improve accessibility in all places where people relocated,” said the commissioner.
He further disclosed that a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) called Give Direct also provided over K1.2 million cash to each household that relocated to safer areas.
Chimwemwe Kambiri who was born and raised up in Makhanga but relocated to Milton at Traditional Authority Mbenje said the relocation was relevant such that he never wish to return to Makhanga.
“I spent days with my children and wife in a tree during Cyclone Freddy. Thank God we finally relocated to an area safer from floods,” he explained.
Group Village Head Kalonga appealed to the government to speed up the process of providing relief food to the relocated community.
The communities asked the government for relocation after they were affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy and later Makhanga was declared inhabitable.
