Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
GOVERNMENT employees working in Cyclone Idai hit areas, just like victims of the disaster, will also require counselling services as they suffered trauma due to the magnitude of the calamity, a report has revealed.
Cyclone Idai has been described as the worst weather-related disaster to ever hit the country leaving more than 340 people dead, displacing hundreds and destroying infrastructure worth billions of dollars.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), which visited the Cyclone Idai hit areas from 25 to 29 March, has released a report detailing their observations of the disaster.
The human rights watchdog said apart from disaster victims, Government employees working in the affected districts will also need psycho-social support systems.
“Victims of the Cyclone and also Government officials who were on the ground were traumatised and they are in need of psycho-social support. In fact some of the government officials on duty were directly or indirectly affected by the disaster and, added to this, the onerous tasks of relief and recovery work had evidently taken its toll on these officials. The Social Welfare staff and other organisations offering psycho-social support were clearly overwhelmed and failing to cope with the large number of affected people,” reads the report.
ZHRC said the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare should lead the psycho-social support.
The Commission hailed the Government and its partners for a swift response to the disaster and providing aid to victims.
ZHRC however, urged the Government to urgently address accommodation issues saying temporary shelters such as schools in the long run can expose vulnerable members of the society who include women, boys and girls to possible abuse.
The human rights watchdog said Government’s decision to temporarily shut down schools in the disaster hit areas was commendable as it gave recovery time for pupils, teachers and their communities.
It recommended that the Civil Protection Unit formulates an effective disaster risk reduction, disaster preparedness and disaster management plan that would help minimise loss of life, suffering and costly response interventions.
ZHRC said the Ministry of Local Government Public Works and National Housing should revise plans on construction of houses in rural areas.
“As a lesson learnt from Cyclone Idai, the Ministry should ensure effective rural and urban planning, especially for human settlements. In particular, there should be prohibition of construction of houses along water courses, valleys, and other flood prone areas which must be strictly enforced. This will prevent the drastic effects of floods and landslides such as those witnessed in areas such as Ngangu in Chimanimani district,” said the ZHRC.
— @nqotshili
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