MP Calls for Separate Disaster Management Ministry

Kalitendere donating assorted relief items to survivors of cyclone Freddy under Senior Chief Nyambi Kalitendere donating assorted relief items to survivors of cyclone Freddy under Senior Chief Nyambi - pic by Eamon Piringu

An independent Member of Parliament for Machinga North East Constituency Ajilu Kalitendere has asked the country's leadership to constitute a separate ministry that will be responsible for disaster management and response.

Speaking on Thursday after donating assorted relief items to survivors of floods induced by cyclone Freddy in the areas of Senior Chief Nyambi, and Traditional Authority Sale, Kalitendere argued that the ministry will be receiving its own vote in the national budget for preparation and disaster response, sourcing funds from donors independently and preparing for disaster in advance.

He says the disasters seem to be on a stay each year saying the current funds in the unforseen account is not enough to deal with the damage the disasters have been causing lately.

"The country needs to have a separate ministry that will be responsible for disaster preparedness, management and response, because the disasters have been here for close to ten years now and they will continue in the next year's," he said.

"This ministry will be searching for funding even before the disasters occur, so I ask the president to constitute this important ministry as soon as possible," Kalitendere added.

The member of Parliament has raised concerned on late response to the current Cyclone Freddy due to shortage of funds.

Meanwhile, Senior Chief Nyambi has called for urgent attention to his people who have been affected by the cyclone, saying the risk of hunger is higher in the area.

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