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DMMU ponders cushioning Luano valley chiefdoms
Mkushi, February 9, ZANIS ——— The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) committee in Mkushi district has resolved to direct a considerable portion of its Relief Maize consignment towards the impending hunger situation in the Luano Valley Chiefdoms.
Mkushi’s DMMU Chairperson Christopher Chibuye told ZANIS that the decision to deliver relief maize to the valley chiefdoms had been necessitated by the recent devastations to crop fields, by natural calamities such as floods and army worms.
Mr Chibuye who is also Mkushi District Commissioner cited the recent reports of extensive flooding of crop fields in Chembe, explaining that the area was still reeling from the effect of crop damage by army worms when it experienced the floods.
He said that owing to the impact of these natural calamities on food security in these areas, the DMMU had resolved to work towards effecting speedy delivery of relief food.
He explained that the DMMU currently had 90 metric tonnes as remainder from the 150 metric tonnes consignment that was distributed towards the end of last year.
Mr Chibuye elaborated that in October 2012, 60 metric tonnes of relief food was distributed to areas such as Chembe and Mboshya, adding that the Reformed Church of Zambia (RCZ) undertook the role as the distributing agents.
He said that the same distributing agents were expected to distribute the remaining 90 metric tonnes towards cushioning the impact of hunger in several parts of the district, including the Luano valley Chiefdoms.
He said that the DMMU currently has a maize Release Order which stipulated that 45 metric tonnes would be delivered to the Luano Valley Chiefdoms, whilst another 45 metric tonnes would be distributed amongst various areas on the plateau.
And in a related contribution, Reformed Church of Zambia’s (RCZ’s) DMMU distribution Coordinator Cephas Kaunda hinted that his organisation was likely to commence distributing relief food in some plateau areas next week.
Mr Kaunda noted that the distribution exercise depended much on the availability of monies for hiring trucks, but said that he was hopeful that this issue would be harmonized soon.
He however assured that RCZ would fulfil its distribution mandates for all the selected areas of the district.
ZANIS /ENDS/CM/SM ———DRY
