By Alick Mhango
KARONGA: The Self Help Africa organization in conjunction with the Department of Climate Change and Metrological Services in Karonga the northern border part of Malawi, have embark on the community disaster sensitization campaign across the district in order to protect the lives and properties of the residents.
This follows the persistence heavy rainfalls that resulted into flood and disperse 958 households with 97 destroyed as well as cholera disease which has also killed 5 while 48 admitted at the hospital.
Speaking during the exercise, Blessings Mlowoka who is also the Disaster Risk Management and Crops Officer under the DISCOVER project on the Self Help Africa organization asked the community leaving around the flood prone area to completely reallocate to the upper land claiming that chances for the abnormal rainfall to come the next season is high.
“This campaign is just to caution the communities on issues pertaining to floods as well as cholera disease that have hit the district. So our message is to inform them not settle back to the flood areas because chances of having abnormal rainfall is high due to the climate change,” said Mlowoka.
“Apart from that, that after knowing that the community has lost their crops as the organization we have also distributed 6300 vines of orange flesh sweet potatoes, 2500 cassava cuttings as well as other materials like 800 mosquito nets, plastic cups and pails,” Mlowoka added.
In his remarks, the District Metrological Officer Victor Phiri appealed to the community to stop underrating the daily weather forecast messages from his department as well as that from the health personnel.
Phiri further warned the fishermen in the district to stop going on the lake especially at this time saying that the heavy Mwera wind will destroy their lives.
The campaign was spiced by some traditional dancers among the others and attended by the police officers who also spread the same news.
