The Federation of Disability Organization in Malawi (FEDOMA) has called for the inclusion of person’s with disabilities in disaster management initiatives.
Speaking in Lilongwe during a workshop that targeted international NGO’s as well as UN family on disaster risk reduction among disabled people, Symom Munde, the National Disability Month, FEDOMA Executive Director believes the inclusion of people with disabilities in disaster management initiatives in disaster risk management could be ideal way of curbing challenges they face.
“Person’s with disabilities have been facing lots of challenges in relation to their inclusion in disaster risk management initiatives and as we’re now in the national disability awareness month, this is one other activity that we hope is one way of making sure that we impart some skills on disability on disability inclusion disaster related activities ” said Munde
Munde further mentioned the failure to consult or considering persons with disabilities when designing evacuation routes which greatly affects people with disabilities when disaster strikes.
Munde further backed the interventions of people with disability on issues of disaster implementation, monitoring and evaluation issues of disability to be an integral part of all the processes for their safety.
On his part, Principal Medical Reputation services in the ministry of health Joel Chisite hailed the workshop as an eye opener to the covered challenges on people with disabilities during disasters.
He further assured Government’s efforts to help People with disabilities before and after disaster occers.
“We are working with partners as the ones that have alerted but as Government as well we have got different ministries as well as departments and agencies we have come together to plan ahead that is before the disaster comes we should make sure that our plans are in line with the needs of person’s with disabilities”.
“There’re already people on the ground in the disaster prone areas which are making sure that when we talk about our planing the needs of person’s with disabilities must be there, when we look at camps which were commissioned during the previous disaster we should make sure that the the needs of person’s with disabilities are also taken on board interms of accessibility and the like so”
Currently, the country has joined the rest of the world in observing National disability Month.
