Commissioner for Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), Charles Kalemba, has underscored the need for people to take weather forecasts seriously, saying those deliberately living in disaster-prone areas will not be assisted with relief items.
Kalemba issued the warning in Salima on Wednesday this week during a disaster preparedness meeting with the District Civil Protection Committee (DCPC).
He said it is high time people took weather forecasts that warn on impending disasters seriously to prevent loss of lives and property.
“I have advised district councils not to register and distribute relief items to households that deliberately continue living in areas that are prone to natural disasters now that we are in the rainy season,” he said.
The DoDMA Commissioner further stated that the institution is currently in the process of decentralising disaster preparedness and response functions to local councils.
On her part, Salima District Commissioner, Grace Chirwa Kanyimbiri, said the council would successfully implement the lean season response plan because identification of beneficiaries is currently underway.
Kanyimbiri said the district developed a disaster-response plan which is a guiding tool on how the district will respond to disasters.
