The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) has said 193,558 households, translating to almost one million people, have been affected by the heavy downpour that hit some parts of the country as a results of Tropical Storm Ana.
Commissioner for Disasters Charles Kalemba disclosed this when briefing reporters on the state of disaster response.
Kalemba said, so far, 33 people have died, with 20 missing and 158 injured.
Of the missing people, 19 are from Chikwawa District while one is from Mwanza District.
Flanked by officials from Roads Authority (RA) Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi, Malawi Defence forceand Malawi Police Service, the commissioner said what hit the country was a moderate Tropical Storm Ana and not Cyclone Ana.
“We continue to work hard to ensure that no one continues to suffer. The magnitude of the tropical storm was intense, such that the downpour reached almost 400 millimetres in the shire valley compared to cyclone Idai, which recorded 220 millimetres of rainfall.” Kalemba said.
kalemba further said 22,174 people have been displaced and are currently in 122 camps set in 19 district councils in the country.
He said the department would soon launch a three month recovery plan to assist the victims.
RA Director of mainternance Florance Ndenguma said they were expected to finish repair works on some sections of the M1 Road soon.
“Contractors are currently working on the six of the all seven damaged sections of the (M1) Road and we are expecting to complete the works by tomorrow (tomorrow) and people will be able to travel from Blantyre to Nsanje,” Ndenguma said.
Source: Daily tmes news_Isaac Salima_2/2/22