Vice President Dr Saulos Chilima has urged Tropical Cyclone Freddy survivors in Chiradzulu to consider rebuilding their homes in safe places as one way of avoiding floods.

According to Malawi News Agancy (Mana), the Vice President made the plea on Saturday, at Nguludi Girls’ Mission Primary School camp where he visited and cheered survivors of Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

Chilima said the only way to avoid these floods is to build strong houses in safe places, avoiding cutting down of trees and intensifying afforestation among other measures.

He, therefore, called upon chiefs in the district to work with communities and ensure that trees in the mountains are protected to avoid similar floods in future.

“We need to have a new approach in dealing with these floods. I ask you chiefs to work with communities and ensure that careless cutting of trees is controlled. People need to know the benefits of planting trees along the riverbanks,” he said.

The Vice President then assured the people that Government, through the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (DoDMA), will erect family tents to ease tension in the camps, most of which are situated in schools, as well as provide them with food until they get back on their feet.

Member of Parliament for Chiradzulu Central, Mctimes Malowa pleaded with Government on the possible way of getting land for the relocation of the survivors and assist them in rebuilding their new home in safe places.

“These people are worried that after this, then what is next. I ask you to help them with materials that can enable them have new homes,” he said.

The Vice President also visited Ntauchira Village where the majority of the villagers were swept away by floods brought by the cyclone.

Chiradzulu District has 24,024 households affected by the cyclone with 19 deaths recorded so far.