Ministry set to check child, women abuses in flood victims’ campsites: Pachi Trust says ‘dire need’
The Ministry of Gender, Disability and Children Welfare has said is putting measures in campsites sheltering flood victims in the country that are aimed at protecting children and women from abuses.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry, Mary Shaba, said women have previously fallen prey to abuses because of lack of effective strategies in place.
She told local press days after heavy rains hit Malawi’s capital Lilongwe where over 2 000 people have been left homeless.
“There has been abuse towards children, persons with disabilities, women and people with albinism in the past. We are working with a number of stakeholders to curb the malpractice this time around,” said Shaba.
According to her, they will implement a number of approaches including a case management approach which will help them to know how many are getting abused.
“With our stakeholders we will encourage a culture of whistle-blowing among the victims so that we know how we can best manage the situations,” said Shaba.
The approach, she said, will also help them facilitate the mobilization of supplies for the victims.
Meanwhile, Pachi Trust, one of the non-governmental organizations that is already working in Lilongwe flood-hit areas, has described the situation as very bad.
According to the organization’s executive director, Vera Kamtukule, people are in a dire need for food and non-food materials.
