Nkayi appeals to Govt to increase relief support

NKAYI district continues to endure effects of drought amid revelations a new relief programme rolled out early this month, has only catered for 8 000 people against 125 000 in need of food assistance.
The new food relief programme, Seasonal Targeted Assistance is co-ordinated by a non-governmental organisation, World Vision, and the government's Department of Social Welfare.
In an interview with Newsday yesterday, Nkayi Rural District Council chairperson Kufakwezwe Ncube said the programme started early this month with 8 000 vulnerable people benefiting.
He said the programme would run until the end of the rainy season and complement the government's grain loan scheme, as well as other food relief programmes in the district.
Ncube said they strategically chose areas worst affected by drought to benefit first from the new scheme.
Ncube appealed to the government to increase relief support to people in the district as well as fodder for their livestock.
He said if no mitigation measures were taken soon, some people would die of starvation.
Ncube said the district was also facing a critical shortage of water as boreholes and dams were drying up fast.
"For the past three weeks, there has been no sign of rain and the grass that was becoming green is drying up," he said.
"We don't only need food assistance for people, but also for livestock which are dying on daily basis."
Ncube said vulnerable people would be getting maize, beans and cooking oil every month until the situation improved.
He said they had embarked on a selection strategy that allowed everybody to benefit from the only one food programme to accommodate every vulnerable family in the area and avoid double dipping.