The government of Maldives has decided to increase financial assistance provided to families under regulations in place to deliver relief and humanitarian aid to people impacted by disaster.
The government of Maldives has decided to increase financial assistance provided to families under regulations in place to deliver relief and humanitarian aid to people impacted by disaster.
The changes will come into place under the guidelines currently being followed by the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) that dictate their operations in the event of disasters.
The guidelines which outline how NDMA will conduct relief efforts is being compiled to include minimum standards for humanitarian relief and providing assistance to compensate for property that is damaged in the event of disaster.
The guideline states that an assessment will be conducted to determine the damage caused by disasters to people's homes, including roofs, floors, the foundation of buildings and other structural elements such as walls, furniture and tangible goods found in homes such as kitchen appliances, crockery and other electric tools or household items needed to fulfil essential needs.
Other areas that will be documented under the assessment include damage to the sewage system in homes, drainage networks and damage to the electrical grid or drinking water systems.
- If the value of damage sustained to tangible assets and goods is less than MVR 79,999.99, disaster victims will now be compensated 75 percent of their loss as disaster relief aid. The compensation value prior to changes in regulation was 25 percent of the cost of damage.
- If the value of damage sustained to tangible assets and goods exceeds MVR 80,000, disaster victims are now entitled to MVR 60,000 as disaster relief aid. The compensation amount prior to changes in regulation was MVR 16,000.
- If the value of damage sustained to property or homes is less than MVR 149,999.99, disaster victims will now be compensated 75 percent of the cost as disaster relief aid. Before changes to the regulation, NDMA was previously compensating the full cost of the damage for disaster victims under these circumstances.
- If the value of damage sustained to property or homes is greater than MVR 150,000, disaster victims will now be entitled to MVR 150,000 as disaster relief aid, which was also the practice in such cases prior to changes in the regulation.
Under the new regulations, the assessments for damage sustained to tangible assets will be based on the number of people living in the house, and the damage to essential appliances and goods inside the home. The property or assets themselves will be valued based on the average price of such goods available on the market.
The updated regulations for distributing humanitarian relief to victims of disaster by NDMA are designed to help affected people. It states that assistance will be provided to families if their essential needs are compromised due to the impact of disaster, if their homes become uninhabitable due to damage or if temporary evacuation is required to a safer space.
In the event of such disasters, temporary shelter must be provided according to the regulations, and if that is not possible, there are stipulations that will require for NDMA to compensate the victims affected by disaster with enough money to secure shelter for themselves. If people are to be moved to a temporary shelter, the regulations state that they will be provided with a maximum stay of 15 days. If victims of disaster are in need of special considerations, they may apply with a notice and valid reason to extend their stay at temporary shelters up to a period of 30 days.