Geingob urges SADC leaders to strengthen disaster risk management capacities
By Staff Reporter
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has contributed a total of US$ 500,000 towards disaster humanitarian efforts in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
And SADC Chairperson Hage Geingob has urged the regional member states to re-double their efforts to strengthen disaster risk management capacities.
In a statement yesterday, Geingob who is Namibian President said that Mozambique, the hardest hit of the three countries, would receive US$200,000 while Malawi and Zimbabwe will receive US$150, 000 each.
This follows Cyclone Idai which swept through Southern Africa, potentially killing hundreds of people and leaving widespread flooding in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
President Geingob has since called upon other partners, within and beyond the region, to continue supporting the rescue operations and in providing the needed humanitarian assistance.
“The economic cost and social impact of the cyclone to the affected countries, and indeed the entire region, is immeasurable,” he said.
Geingob said the cyclone, which killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands and left a trail of destruction to land and infrastructure, affecting accessibility and provision of health care and welfare to the affected communities.
“SADC appreciates the overwhelming support extended to the communities by some member states, cooperating partners, and most importantly by citizens of the three countries who combined efforts to assist their fellow nationals,” he said.
Geingob added that SADC was in solidarity with the three countries as they recover from the tragedy.
Geingob said that in view of the increased occurrence of climate-related catastrophes, such as cyclones, floods and droughts, around the world and especially in the SADC region, it was cardinal for joint global efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change and variability.
He said there was need to step up efforts to enhance adaptive capacities of developing countries in line with the spirit of the Sendai framework for disaster risk reduction (2015-2030) and article 8(4) of the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change.
He has since called upon SADC member states to re-double their efforts to strengthen disaster risk management capacities, as emphasized in the SADC disaster preparedness and response strategy adopted in 2016, and to fully operationalize the necessary collaborative mechanisms to ensure rapid joint and concerted responses to disasters.
