Civic leader appeals for quick distribution of relief food

—A civic leader in Nchelenge district in Luapula province is appealing to the government to speed up the disbursement and distribution of food aid to the people of Kilwa Island.

Kilwa Ward Councillor Godfrey Monta made the appeal in an interview with ZANIS this morning and saying over 18, 000 people are faced with severe hunger.

Mr Monta said the people of Kilwa Island on Mweru Lake in Chief Nshimba’s area are at the point of starvation as they are only struggling to put a meal on the table per day.

Kilwa Island has been on food supplements since last year following a total crop failure during the 2012/2013 farming season caused by a partial drought.

The civic leader said the government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) should expedite the movement and the subsequent distribution of the food aid dubbed food for work to avoid any loss of life because of hunger.

He said the third consignment of the 2, 715 X 50 kilo grams bags of maize were slated to be delivered to the area last month but noted that this has not been done and no explanation has been offered.

He further said the people at the island have accepted the food for work concept and were able to mobilise upfront contributions for potential development sites in the area.

Mr Monta also said some feeder roads were also worked on adding that some people took advantage of the programme to build themselves toilets using the Community Led Total Sanitation.

However, he observed that the people lacked expert advice from the technocrats from the BOMA and urged for their assistances especially for formation roads.