WE HAVE FOOD FOR THE POOR-POLLEN
The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) national coordinator, Dr. Gabriel Pollen, says that 44,286.5 metric tons of relief maize are available for immediate delivery to families affected by drought.
Dr. Pollen further revealed the magnitude of the relief efforts, stating that a staggering 728,000 metric tons of maize will be distributed to the affected families over a span of 14 months.
At a media briefing Tuesday morning, Dr. Pollen highlighted the extensive scale of the relief operation, disclosing that 9.8 million people in the 84 districts severely affected by drought have been targeted for relief food.
He stated that 6.6 million Zambians needed immediate humanitarian assistance as indicated in the drought response implementation plan which has focused on the districts that have been hardest hit by the natural disaster.
He said that in addition to relief food, affected households will receive additional support in the form of social cash transfers.
Dr. Pollen disclosed that US$51 million had been secured for food relief, and about US$13 million for social cash transfers had also been secured from cooperating partners.
He has appealed to would-be recipients to ensure that they have the prerequisite identifications, such as National Registration Cards, to receive this humanitarian support.
He added that the government wanted to ensure that only the intended beneficiaries receive humanitarian aid both in the immediate and long term because the state is committed to ensuring that no Zambian dies of hunger.