DMMU begins distributing relief food to Chibombo

Government,  through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), has began the distribution of relief food to hunger stricken areas of Chibombo district in Central Province.

Over 199 tonnes of maize have so far been distributed to people in various chiefdoms of Chibombo district while 238 tonnes of maize are in depots awaiting distribution.

 

A third consignment is expected to be delivered to the district soon.

Chibombo District Commissioner Felix Mang’wato told ZANIS in an interview that the distribution of relief food has been delayed due to logistical challenges such as hiccups in the compilation of beneficiary list which he said took long.

Mr. Mang’wato explained that 80 percent of the relief food was being given to people under the food for work programme while 20 percent has been apportioned for the vulnerable people such as the elderly, orphans and child headed families.

He said the relief food was targeted at people whose fields were affected by army worms and floods.

He however assured that Chibombo was this year expected to record a bumper harvest because of the good rains that the district received during the farming season.

Mr. Mang’wato said he has not received any reports from farmers in his district suggesting otherwise adding that the area did not have a drought or floods and that all the inputs were received in good time.

Meanwhile, the District Commissioner has commended government for the infrastructure development in the education and road sectors in Chibombo.

Mr. Mangw’ato said that government has constructed, upgraded and rehabilitated a number of schools in his district noting that this has reduced the distance pupils used to cover to get to schools.

He said so far government has rebuilt almost all mud and pole structures and upgraded some community schools into government institution while three basic schools have been upgraded to day secondary.

He said this development would improve accessibility and pass rate of pupils in the district.

In the road sector, the DC noted that most of the roads have been upgraded under the road initiative programmes that the government has initiated countrywide.

He observed that Chibombo has received a fair share of development from government.