OVER 2, 000 MUMBWA FLOOD RAVAGED HOUSEHOLDS TO RECEIVE RELIEF FOOD

GOVERNMENT through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) is set to procure and distribute 150 metric tones (3, 000 x 50kg) of maize from Food Reserve Agency (FRA) as relief food for 2, 243 households affected by floods in Mumbwa.

Mumbwa, District Administrative Officer, Simasiku Nawa said the government is in the process of procuring and distributing 150 metric tones (3,000 x 50kg) of maize from FRA for flood affected households in the district.

“About 2, 243 households were identified through a narrow criterion which included aged, persons with disabilities, child headed homes and were not on social cash transfer as the number of beneficiaries had surpassed the target required” said Dr Nawa.

Dr Nawa added that the DMMU working with the World Food Programme ( WFP) have so far distributed 50kg bag of maize, 9kg bag of cowpeas and K400 to each household for two months (March and April) of which the relief distribution began on March 10, 2023.

Dr Nawa added that 600 hampers were distributed to Mumbwa central and Nangoma constituencies which consisted of cooking oil, beans, salt, sugar, soya and mealie meal to help provide food at household level.

And Mumbwa District Agricultural Coordinator, Nicholus Mainza explained that 1, 708 hectares of fields were affected by the floods.

Mr Mainza explained that food security was threatened during the flood period when fields were submerged however, there are some fields that are performing well which are placed on the upper land. He added that soya beans and maize crop are projected to be high in production due to the favourable prizes that government had procured them through FRA in the previous season.

“Advanced early warning systems such as satellite dictations should be put in place as a long term measure to avoid such disasters in the near future due to the ever changing climatic conditions,” Mr Mainza said.