10 000 households to get food relief

Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) says it will distribute food relief to 10 000 households in Karonga  affected by floods and strong winds.

Karonga district disaster relief and rehabilitation officer Shephard Jere said this on Friday during a stakeholders meeting aimed at sharing how floods and strong winds have affected people in the district.

He said: “The relief food distribution is part of government’s efforts to assist the affected people as they are also passing through economic hardships due to Covid-19 pandemic.

“Besides, our lean season report shows that many households will be food-insecure between February and March.”

Jere said each household will receive a 50 kilogramme  bag of maize in each of the two months.

On his part, Karonga District director of agriculture, environment and natural resources Raphael Mkisi  commended the initiative.

He said: “This will reduce food deficit among the affected households.

“We will work with councillors and traditional leaders to identify the right beneficiaries.”

In separate interviews, some of the affected people in the district said they needed the relief food quickly.

Esmie Silumbu, a community member from Traditional Authority Wasambo, said she had no food since floods destroyed her house last month.

“I am now busy looking for resources to repair the house. So, the food will ease my commitment,” she said.

Traditional authorities Wasambo, Kyungu and Mwirang’ombe have many households whose fields were affected by strong winds and floods recently.