Disaster recovery cost rises to Rwf300bn as assessment proceeds

Money required for recovery from the recent floods, landslides and mudslides that rocked parts of Rwanda has doubled as assessment of the damages proceed, the Ministry in charge of emergency management announced on June 1. Initially, a quick assessment that followed the disaster which claimed 135 lives found that Rwf130billion was required but the following assessment found that at least Rwf296 billion is needed so far to rehabilitate damaged infrastructure and build resilience. ALSO READ: Rwf130bn needed to rebuild disaster-hit infrastructure The assessment of the damages is currently at 90 per cent meaning that the cost might increase once complete. “At least 17 of 20 national road sections and 35 of 57 district road sections have been rehabilitated and are passable. However, 48 bridges need time to be rehabilitated,” the Minister in charge of emergency management, Marie Solange Kayisire, said in a press conference. She said that eight water treatment plants and 12 hydropower plants have resumed operations. “The works that remain are aimed to build resilience of water and hydropower plants to disasters,” she said. Kayisire said at least Rwf30 billion is needed to build shelter for homeless disaster-affected families. “Rwf296 billion is needed for recovery and building climate resilience in different sectors. The government can allocate a budget every fiscal year. We can also get finance on credit and funding from partners,” she said. ALSO READ: Death toll from disasters reaches 135, over 20,000 left homeless So far, 1,826 families comprised of 7,620 people remain in 25 evacuation centres out of 20,326 people from 5,159 families that were being accommodated in 93 evacuation centres. “Most of the disaster-displaced families used to rent and therefore we gave them three-month renting fees,” she noted. She said 111 injured people have recovered while six people are still being hospitalized. “We continue to thoroughly assess the damages as we continue to relocate people living in high risk zones,” she said. Kayisire said that at least Rwf853.6 million support has been received on accounts saying there is also pledged funding that has not yet been received on various accounts. The pledges include Rwf1 billion support -$500,000 from the Chinese government, $300,000 from South Korea and Rwf142 million from different partners.

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Disaster recovery cost rises to Rwf300bn as assessment proceeds