AFRICA/MALAWI - "Justice and Peace": "The state budget has to give priority to flood victims"

Friday, 22 May 2015

Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides) - " We encourage you, our honourable parliamentarians to consider the plight of those affected by floods and droughts. Through this forthcoming budget deliberation currently in progress, the affected ones need to be strengthened hence resuscitating their livelihoods. Their food situation needs also to be strengthened by deliberately putting in resources that would support their winter cropping, as an example", said Acting Secretary General, Fr. Emmanuel Chimombo of the Episcopal Commission "Justice and Peace" of Malawi during a meeting with Catholic lawmakers.
According to information sent to Agenzia Fides, the meeting was held at a time when the Parliament of Malawi is discussing the 2015/2016 national budget. "Justice and Peace" took the opportunity to highlight that one of the priorities of the State must be the help to people affected by floods in January, when two weeks of heavy rains caused 275 deaths and forced the displacement of more than 230,000 people in 15 of the 28 districts of the Country (see Fides 17/03/2015). Because of the floods, more than 64,000 hectares of farmland were devastated in a Country where agriculture accounts for 30% of GDP. In the following months drought destroyed crops to the point that 30% of the food is lacking (see Fides 01/04/2015).
The Episcopal Commission "Justice and Peace" has prepared an analysis that points out that the state budget must be finalized to implement medium and long term recovery plans, which thus goes beyond the stage of immediate response to the emergency. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 22/05/2015)


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