The Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance CSO- SUN says the latest report on the food situation in Zambia should compel government to re-think its strategy of relief food distribution in order to avert the hunger situation and prevent possible deaths in the country.
In a statement issued to Money FM News, CSO- SUN Country Coordinator Mathews Mhuru said according to the Regional Inter-Agency Standing Committee and the Food and Nutrition Security Working Group overview of the SADC food Security Situation, about 2.3 million people in 87 districts of Zambia, are estimated to be facing worse food insecurity situation.
Mr Mhuru adds that should compel government to focus relief distribution to the most affected areas as they await the results of an in-depth vulnerability and needs assessment from the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit.
Mr. Mhuru has warned that with a number of districts having registered huge decline in maize production due to the devastating effects of climate change in the 2018-2019 farming season, failure to balance the distribution of relief food risks worsening the hunger situation especially in households that have already depleted their cereals.
The report published recently by Regional Inter-Agency Standing Committee and the Food and Nutrition Security Working Group overview of the SADC food Security Situation, revealed that three districts namely Gwembe with 15,000, Shangómbo with 13,000 and Lunga with 6,000 affected people are projected to be in phase 4 food insecurity situations and will face huge food gaps as the situation deteriorates due to consecutive reduction in cereal production largely due to erratic and late start of rains.
Meanwhile Mr. Mhuru has appealed to President Edgar Lungu to rethink his position on the delivery of development to Southern Province following the cutting down of the Zesco pole as this may affect relief food distribution in the area.
He said Southern Province being one of the most hit areas with hunger requires the full support of the government and his threats to shift development from Southern Province to other areas may shift the attention of those charged with the responsibility to distribute relief food to other parts of the country they may deem as favourite of the Head of State.