Acute hunger has hit Chitokoloki area, 40 kilometres away from Zambezi Boma in Zambezi East Constituency and villagers are reported to be surviving on eating mangoes, roots and other wild fruits.
Chitokoloki area Councilor Steven Sajolomba confirmed the development today during a meeting that the number of villagers being threatened by hunger is likely to increase if the situation is not urgently addressed.
This came to light when Zambezi East Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Sayifwanda, who is in the area to familiarize herself on developmental projects in the constituency.
Councillor Sajolomba said over 500 households are affected and attributed the problem to the floods which the area and part of the district experienced during the 2006/2007 farming season.
He said people in Chitokoloki did not benefit from the relief food which government sent by the Disaster Management and Mitigatiuon Unit (DMMU).
He said only people in the West Bank benefited leaving out those in Zambezi East constituency.
The civic leader appealed to government to urgently send relief food to the area before the situation gets out of hand.
In response, Mrs. Sayifwanda regretted that people were starving in her area but assured that government will intervene soon.
Mrs. Sayifwanda, who is also Communications and Transport Minister, said frantic efforts were being made to arrest the problem because governmet is committed to alleviating the sufferings faced by the people.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Sayifwanda has implored councilors in all the 10 wards in Zambezi East constituency to explain government policies and programmes to the people.
She said it is the duty of civic leaders to go to the grassroots and explain government programmes adding that government in collaboration with corporating partners is working round the clock to ensure that it achieves the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on food security, quality health and education by 2015.
