Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition (CSO-SUN) Alliance has called on the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to immediately distribute relief maize to Gwembe, Lunga, and Chilubi Districts to cushion the food insecurity situation being experienced in the areas.
Organization Country Coordinator Mathews Mhuru disclosed at a media briefing that the three districts have not received relief food despite the DMMU releasing 2000 metric tonnes of maize in August this year.
Mr Mhuru said Gwembe District in Southern Province has been on the relief pipeline since the drought experienced during the 2018/2019 rainy season which impacted food production, while Lunga District in Luapula province and Chilubi District in Northern Province experienced floods in the 2019/2020 farming season which rendered them food insecure.
He revealed that Gwembe Member of Parliament Attractor Chisangano confirmed with the Organization that no relief maize has reached the constituency from the time the DMMU announced the release of the maize on 29th August, 2020.
“Our interaction with the people of Lunga and Chilubi Districts has also revealed that the people in need have not yet received their share of the 2000 metric tonnes of the relief maize. We are disheartened that whilst people are busy waiting for food in the three affected districts, distribution was going on in areas where by elections were taking place.”
“With about 56, 000 people in Lunga District and 58, 000 people in Gwembe in need of relief food, we believe that once distributed, the food will go a long way in preventing deaths and a rise in malnutrition cases,” Mr. Mhuru said.
Mr. Mhuru further challenged the DMMU to inform the nation challenges that have led to delayed distribution of relief food amidst the extreme hunger which has continued to affect the people especially in Lunga and Gwembe Districts, saying it is sad that families have been left to starve despite the food having been released.
“The CSO-SUN also appeals to Minister in the Office of the Vice President Olipa Phiri to take interest in this matter and ensure that the released relief maize is distributed to the people in need,” he added.

On 29th August 2020, the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit announced the release of 2000 metric tons of relief maize to Lunga, Gwembe and Chilubi Districts to cushion the food insecurity situation being experienced in the districts.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mhuru said the organization was impressed with President Edgar Lungu’s assurance that late delivery of inputs to districts has been fully addressed and farmers can now receive inputs on time.
He stated that early distribution of agricultural inputs is one of the strategies to ensure national food security, but that CSO-SUN is concerned that diversification in the agriculture sector was not more pronounced during the launch of the input distribution exercise by the Head of State.
Mr. Mhuru observed that President Lungu did not mention how the FISP Programme seeks to diversify crop production or promote other crops.
“President Edgar Lungu on 9th September flagged off the 2020/2021 input distribution exercise under the farmer input support programme (FISP). If this is implemented, it will go a long way in improving crop production among small holder farmers who because of late distribution of inputs in the past could not produce much for both their consumption and financial needs.”
“The President mentioned that in close partnership with business associations such as the Zambia National Farmers Union, Grain Traders Association of Zambia and Millers Association of Zambia, government expects more growth in other commodities such as cassava, cotton, soya beans, tobacco, cashew nut and rice. We agree with him that agriculture is not just maize and FISP should help in demystify this notion,” he explained.
He said FISP should be more placed to push the diversification agenda were beneficiaries can also have access to domestic animals and fingerlings to enable them venture into livestock and fish farming which are also key to the fight against malnutrition.