TZ donates maize for flood victims

Tanzania yesterday dispatched 55 trucks of relief grain to ease the plight of Malawians affected by floods and hailstorms in the Southern Region, government announced on Tuesday.

According to the principal secretary for the Department of Disaster  Management Affairs (Dodma), Paul Chiunguzeni, the country needs at least $81 million(about K36. 4 billion) for the well-being of about 230 000 survivors.

He said the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) presence at the border post was a matter of courtesy to their Tanzanian military counterparts.

The Tanzanian donation, hauled in military trucks, comprised  66 000 tonnes of drugs and 120 000 tonnes of grain.

Tanzanian Ambassador to Malawi Patrick Sele handed over the gift and hailed the existing cordial relationship between the two countries.

In response, Chiunguzeni expressed the Malawi Government’s gratitude for the donation.

Said Chiunguzeni: “Malawi is grateful forTanzania’s contribution as we are trying to relieve the plight of the survivors some of whom are still in camps.”

Incessant rains in mid-January this year caused floods that damaged property, including gardens  and displaced people and livestock.

The disaster affected 15 of the country’s 28 districts, prompting President Peter Mutharika to declare a State of Disaster. n