{"id":41724,"date":"2023-05-12T16:46:27","date_gmt":"2023-05-12T16:46:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/govt-needs-rwf13bn-to-relocate-19000-families-from-high-risk-zones"},"modified":"2023-05-12T17:16:10","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T17:16:10","slug":"govt-needs-rwf13bn-to-relocate-19000-families-from-high-risk-zones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/govt-needs-rwf13bn-to-relocate-19000-families-from-high-risk-zones","title":{"rendered":"Govt needs Rwf13bn to relocate 19,000 families from high risk zones"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry in charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA), Philippe Habinshuti, has said that over 19,000 households living in areas prone to disasters in different parts of the country, should urgently be relocated to safe places.<\/p>\n

Habinshuti made the appeal on May 11, while making a presentation on MINEMA’s spending priorities for the next fiscal year, during the budget hearing for 2023\/24 fiscal year.<\/p>\n

He indicated that the ministry needed more than Rwf13.9 billion to implement a project to relocate the over 19,000 households from high risk zones in the next fiscal year which will begin on July 1, but such funds were not allocated by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made an assessment and identified 19,179 families in very high risk zones, which can endanger their lives in case of disasters, and we realised that those funds are not available,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLack of those funds to relocate the people in question as a long-term solution, leads us into the issues like these we are experiencing currently, and we incur a huge cost on response,\u201d he observed, referring to heavy rain-induced floods and landslides that killed more than 130 people in different districts of the country, on May 2 and May 3 this year.<\/p>\n

For him, it would be better if the money that is spent on recovery is used on saving the lives of people through building their resilience to possible disasters.<\/p>\n

Faustin Vuningoma, Coordinator at Rwanda Climate Change and Development Network (RCCDN), said that resources should be mobilised to resettle in safe areas people who are living in high risk zones.<\/p>\n

The Chairperson of the Lower House\u2019s Committee on National Budget and Patrimony, MP Omar Munyaneza, said that issues that can put people’s lives at risk must be addressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cProtecting people\u2019s lives is our common responsibility,\u201d he said, adding that parliamentarians will discuss the relocation funding matter with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, with a view to do the needful.<\/p>\n

A residential house that was destroyed by floods in Nyundo Sector, Rubavu District.<\/p>\n

According to the newly launched assessment a total of 19,179 families are in very high risk zones, which can endanger their lives in case of disasters. Courtesy<\/p>\n

Residents cleaning their living area after the disasters that killed 131 people in Rwanda on May 3. Germain Nsanzimana<\/p>\n

Residents wade through a flooded residential area on May 3 due to heavy rains that ravaged the country on May 2-3. Germain Nsanzimana<\/p>\n


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