Brigitte Weidlich
13 November 2008
NAMIBIA is unprepared for disasters - no proper policy is in place, contingency plans are lacking and inventory lists for disaster equipment and food storage of the Emergency Response Unit (EMU) are non-existent, while the National Emergency Disaster Fund (NEDF) "has never been audited", according to a damning report by the Auditor General.
Between 2003 and 2007 the NEDF received a total of N$272,6 million from the Treasury.
The performance audit report was recently tabled in the National Assembly and covers the operations of the EMU, which falls under the Prime Minister's Office, and visits to the Kavango and Caprivi Regions.
"The audit revealed that even though a lot of money is being spent on the process of disaster prevention and alleviation, there are still serious shortcomings in prevention and disaster management," said Auditor General Junias Kandjeke.
He noted that only a draft for a disaster risk management policy existed, but no legal framework or policy.
Action would be taken on an ad hoc basis in the case of natural disasters like floods.
In the two regions visited, all nine ministries which would have to help in disasters were supposed to have contingency plans in place, but between 2003 and 2006 only the Health and Agriculture ministries had done so.
The ministries of Home Affairs, Defence, Fisheries, Trade, Transport, Environment and Tourism and the Works and Transport Ministry never submitted any contingency reports in those four years.
"EMU was restructured to a Directorate of Disaster Management in January 2007 and its director reports directly to the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister.
Only 19 of the 31 posts are filled.
There are regional emergency management units (REMUs) and the CEMUs at constituency level, headed by the regional councillors who report directly to the Regional Governor," the AG report stated.
However, REMUs did not receive adequate logistical support from the Windhoek head office.
Despite these structures being in place, their operations are limited and vehicles from the head office or the regional governors' offices have to be used for rendering aid during disasters.
Data collection on previous disasters like floods, droughts, forest fires and animal diseases is largely lacking and not updated and there is a shortage of good maps, the report criticised.
"The officials of the AG's Office could not establish the amount of food kept in regions, except in Caprivi, due to the absence of an inventory list."
Risk assessments are also not being done.
"The lack of resources leads to a slower response which increases the impact of such disasters.
Therefore, the regions are not adequately prepared when disasters strike," the report stated.
The Auditor General recommended that a legal framework for disaster management should be drafted as soon as possible, inventory and food lists should be drawn up, risk assessments and mapping should be carried out continuously, while disaster preparedness training in regions should be done more regularly.
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