Government must consider declaring the hunger situation in some parts of the country as a disaster, Caritas Zambia has said.
Addressing a media briefing, Bishop Director for Caritas Zambia Evans Chinyemba said places visited by the Catholic Church agents has revealed that 79% of the crops were affected by drought, 13% by floods while 4% were affected by both drought and floods.
Bishop Chinyemba named Southern, Western, Lusaka, Eastern, Central and Luapula as some of provinces that were affected in the previous farming season.
He said apart from crop failure, the prolonged dry spell during the last farming season has created water shortages for both animals and people with many households currently with nothing to eat and are surviving on wild fruits.
Bishop Chinyemba said the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops through Caritas Zambia and other stakeholders is therefore targeting to spend not less than US$9.4 million in helping 42,000 households who have been affected by the unfavorable weather conditions.
And Luapula Member of Parliament Emerine Kabanshi has commended the Catholic Church for coming to the aid of the people of Lunga district.Mrs. Kabanshi said the hunger situation in Lunga district is desperate and something needs to be done urgently.
The old Zambian political adage that says that vote for a ruling party mp and councillors to enter a state of nirvana is just a mirage, kabanshi’s lunga constituency (mp from a ruling party) relying on the church for relief food.
I don’t see any hunger in that picture. The baby is enjoying a pot of porridge.
Dr. Edgar will agree with me.
Where is DMMU? In low tone lozi voice one will say that the “the situation is not kilitikoeho”.
I thought it was the duty of our MPs to visit their constituents and bring information to the government for action, MPs it is your work and not the church however church can just supplement to what you do.
You cannot allow your people to starve while you keep on driving in towns and cities it is immoral to the law makers in those areas affected and not reported the hunger situation.
We know there are some MPs who are hardworking and visit their constituents regularly but to others it is shameful to learn about your constituency from other people when you are paid on their heads.
Hunger and livestock disease is only in Southern, parts of North western and western provinces, places that have gone against Gods Word in Romans 13. Caritas should be addressing this instead
NB: That have gone against your god muLungu…
You declare hunger a disaster, the world will say poor governance.Better use your own local mitigation teams and plan wisely.Seal all those loopholes and you will see the light.Come up with lasting solutions because draught is not gonna end.There are other problems related to draught.