At least 300 people have been rendered homeless after wild fire on Wednesday razed down about 52 houses in Kaingilira Village in Neno North.
Neno district is already grappling with typhoid outbreak and is one of the 26 districts that require food relief.
Village headman Kaingilira said that the community is in a state of shock.
“We still don’t know what happened or where the fire came from but it has left a huge destruction in this community,” he said.
Aggravated by the strong winds, the fire raged on for over 12 hours. And with only small buckets and a water source 20 minutes away by foot, the community was left feeling helpless as they could not put out the fire.
Member of Parliament for the area, Emmanuel Lonzo, has called for assistance for the victims.
“I am calling on all well-wishers, organisations and government departments to hear our cry and come to our rescue in this time of suffering as the situation is bad,” he said.
Lonzo said people need urgent help in terms of shelter, water and food.
“The food stores are burnt, the livestock lie dead in ashes, the houses are burnt and the community is standing there, homeless and penniless amongst the wreckage. They have lost everything,” said Dr Emily Wroe, Director of Clinical Services for Partners in Health.
Donations are trickling in but more help is still needed. Lonzo has donated a bag of maize to each of the 52 households.
More maize, oil, beans, sugar, salt, blankets and cooking pots will be donated to the victims by Partners In Health. Mèdecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has also pledged to help the victims.
