National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has revealed that USD1.6 million has been spent on relief since 2017.
Statistics from NDMA show most of the funds were spent in 2019 and that the authority provided assistance mostly for compensation for damages after cases of fire and extreme weather. They include cases of flooding, swell waves, thunderstorms, as well as property damage caused by a cyclone in 2019.
NDMA revealed that USD65,000 was spent on relief for 73 incidents in 2017, USD27,000 was spent for 21 incidents in 2018, and USD976,000 was spent for 28 incidents in 2019. Additionally, USD104,000 was spent for six incidents in 2020, USD293,000 for 21 incidents in 2021, and USD130,000 has been spent on relief for 19 incidents as of August this year.
NDMA stated it will be amending the guidelines on providing relief and compensation after disasters, which will include formulating a framework for building teams to respond to incidents in the atolls.