The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has revealed that USD318,000 has been spent on disaster relief so far this year.
On International Day for Disaster Reduction, NDMA stated the amount spent by the government on responding to floods and fires has increased year by year. NDMA revealed that USD65,000 was spent on relief in 2017, USD27,000 was spent in 2018, and USD976,000 in 2019. In addition, USD104,000 was spent in 2020, USD293,000 was spent in 2021, and USD130,000 was spent in 2022.
Statistics from NDMA show most of the funds were spent in 2019 and that the authority provided assistance mostly for compensation for damages after cases of fire and extreme weather. They include cases of flooding, swell waves, thunderstorms, as well as property damage caused by a cyclone in 2019.
NDMA has identified some tasks that the newly elected government can do to mitigate the damage caused by disasters. NDMA stated that it should be given all the powers and authorities needed to respond to disasters under the Disaster Management Act. The authority also called for more investment and budgeting for disaster management, inclusion of disaster management initiatives in development plans, and giving priority to building secure infrastructure. It further highlighted the importance of increasing public awareness of insurance in the areas most affected by disasters, adding that compulsory insurance in some sectors is an important step to reduce the risk of disaster damage.