Disaster response gets donor wheels

People hit by floods and storms may get help faster now.

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has received a vehicle to help it reach disaster-hit areas faster.

The vehicle has been provided by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), in partnership with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

It comes from a 2.5-year project to improve disaster preparedness in Mzuzu, Blantyre, Lilongwe and Zomba, and will help DoDMA respond quickly once early weather warnings are issued.

Donated vehicle

DoDMA Commissioner Wilson Moleni said government is committed to maintaining the vehicle and other disaster-response assets, drawing lessons from Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

He said the vehicle is more than just transport, as it will support disaster preparedness, early warnings, early action, assessments, coordination and emergency response.

EU Ambassador Daniel Aristi Gaztelumendi said reliable transport and the ability to act quickly are important when responding to climate-related emergencies and El Nino.

UNDP Resident Representative Fenella Frost said the project has already delivered impact-based flood forecasting and improved drainage systems, benefiting more than 198,000 people.

She said that although the vehicle is the tangible asset being handed over, it represents something much bigger, an investment in DoDMA’s ability to prepare for, anticipate and respond to disasters.
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