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{
    "id": 704889,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/704889/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 156,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Policy and institutional issues",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "(i) The National Drought Emergency Fund (NDEF) is provided for under the NDMA Act, 2016. The NDEF is critical to the effectiveness of the drought management system because it ensures that funds are instantly available for response, particularly in the early stages of drought before conditions deteriorate. The only alternatives at the present are to reallocate funds within the existing sector budgets or to make special requests to the national Treasury, both of which result in time being lost. The process of establishing NDEF is at an advanced stage with the regulations already drafted. The Draft Disaster Reach Management Policyand Bill is currently with the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government. The third question was whether the Government is planning to appoint a special taskforce to investigate the effects and extent of the drought in the country. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, an Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee is already in place as described in the previous section and will continue for as long as required. The committee’s plans and budgetary estimates have taken into account the focus of the short rains season which is that it will start late and end early and is likely to be below normal. The Government is, therefore, prepared for the strong possibility that significant drought mitigation and response interventions will be needed at least until the middle of 2017. It should be noted that the Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee augments an existing system of food security system, monitoring an assessment which includes the following:- 1. The county governments through their county steering groups already undertake rapid assessments with support from National Disaster and Management Authority (NDMA) which maintains an overview of the situation as a whole. These assessments are made on an ongoing basis as required. Given the responsibility of the county governments as first line respondents, it is strategically important to reinforce rather than to duplicate the system. 2. A well-established process of bi-annual food security assessment is in place. This assessment reviews the food security situation after each rainy season and using a globally endorsed methodology for food security analysis which has the backing of the United Nations (UN) and the major international agencies, all of which collaborate with this Government led process. The short rains assessment is scheduled for January, 2017. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}