No proper framework in place to assist disaster victims

KABUL National Disasters Management on Saturday criticised the president for not approving the ministry’s new staff structure, saying the government was yet to properly assist victims of calamities.

Afghanistan National Disasters Management minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told the Wolesi Jirga or lower house that the current staff structure of the ministry was not responsive to the current situation of the country.

The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) was promoted eight months ago into a ministry under a presidential decree.

Barmak said after their assessment five months ago they submitted the structure plan to the president in order to respond to the current needs, but the president was yet to approve the plan.

The government could not prepare a framework to access the condition of natural and unnatural disasters, he said, asking the president to approve the proposed organizational structure. He several times tried to talk to the president regarding the issue, but couldn’t meet him, Barmak said.

According to Barmak, 182 people have been killed, 82 injured, 2,960 residential houses destroyed, 4900 others partially damaged, dozens of bridges damaged and hundreds of livestock perished in natural calamities during past three months in the country.

Wolesi Jirga second deputy speaker Naimatullah Ghafari, who chaired Saturday’s session, said the parliament could not blame Barmak negligence and his ministry as the government was yet to approve budget and staff structure for the ministry.

He asked the president to approve the structure of the entity to enable it to work for reahing out to victims of disasters.

myn/ma

Views: 0