The opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has described the United Nations 2013 Hunger index Report released recently as embarrassing and humiliating.
Last week, three of the United Nations’ agencies, namely the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) indicated that undernourishment prevalence in Zambia is first in Africa and second to Haiti in the world.
Lead Rome based FAO recently issued the State of World Insecurity Report which showed that Zambia has the highest number of undernourished people in Africa and second in the world with Haiti on the top slot.
UPND Vice President for Politics Canisius Banda argues that the Report says Zambia has enjoyed a steady economic growth of over six percent per annum in the last few years.
Dr. Banda says the Report uses data obtained from the 2007 Demographic and Health Survey which some have been dismissive of the findings.
In a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Dr. Banda said no Zambian government official was consulted to the said UN Report in question.
Dr. Banda reiterated that the UPND believes in “more food on the table” as the solution to undernourishment and also eating the right food as well.
The opposition leader suggested to the PF Government to put in place adequate interventions to mitigate undernourishment and stunting growth among the Zambian people especially children.
“Let Government re-introduce food subsidies for the 60% Zambians that are poor people who spend 70% of their meagre income on food, that is not even adequate to meet their dietary requirements,” Dr. Banda said.
He accused the PF government for the removal of subsidies on the staple food (maize and fuel) a move he said was not only highly irresponsible but negligence of poor peoples’ needs.
He boasted that the UPND would train more nutritionists and deploy them in all districts on a long term basis and also prioritize improving and diversifying the agriculture sector in Zambia in order to increase the quality and quantity of food at household and national level.
But Republican Vice President Guy Scott disputed the Report released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation that Zambia was the most undernourished country in Africa describing it as inaccurate.
Dr Scott said the Report was not factual and does not represent the happenings on the ground.
He said the criteria used by FAO to determine the nutritional profiles of some people in Zambia was wrong and does not translate into being under-nourished.
The Vice President said there were a number of countries in Africa that are struggling with issues of undernourishment and Zambia does not rank among them.
“We need to be careful with these people coming here and telling us that we are undernourished. They used defective tools in their research and we should not pay attention as a country,” Dr. Scott announced at a recent public meeting.
I think UPND has to watch and somewhat tame Canisius’ tongue. If the report is using 2007 data then how is that dismissive? Does he have new data to prove FAO wrong?
Just use the image of Dr katema government spokesman as a measure ,,,, you will see that the levels of undernourishment is scaring in zambia!!!,,,,and UN hunger report is correct though embarassing,,, at least kambwili would a good rep!!
Where is SAULOSI? I want to send him to drunken Lungu that he shouldn’t allow Katema to respond to FAO’s malicious reports or they will use Katema as a living proof!!.
Kambwili also looks like he has malnutrition.
GBM and Lubinda looks healthy.
The man is right, for the first time
The questions begs, would you rather trust a farmer or United nations?
I know who I would
Thanks
Nostradamnass you better enrol in an English school instead of wasting your time on social media.
I read the full report a week ago. It is full of trash, and Canisius is right the data used was from 2007 as there have not been a recent survey that has had been conducted.
@Nostradamus
Boyi am back. I have been busy the past two days now i`m back. You can send me to Lungu boyi i can`t complain because he is a big buyer.Lol
I agree with UN report. Majority of People just eat nshima with Chibwabwa and Kapenta! very thin children with sallow skin kunsala!
@Robin’ what a mess in your single sentence, it is:
– Nostradamus
– Enroll
– Not English School, but English course.
– It is not social media, but LusakaTimes.
Am I the only one who has observed that the headline and content of article don’t match? Is Guy Scott and Canisius speaking same language?
@chosen one CB is PF mwana..if you don’t know now you know..PF is unstoppable one day even HH after he looses terribly in 2016 with less than 40% of the vote will try to join us but we’ll never allow a satanist in our midst. PF is committed to development, PF committed to improving the lives of all Zambians, never before has there been a party that truely cares for all Zambians regardless of tribe or economic standing.
hahahaha…so this means all of you ZWD f00ls that were supporting this UN/ FAO report like wanzelu, dudelove, wantanshi etc are not towing your party line..in other words for a numbskull like dudelove that still relies on his grade 4 Monze primary school education you are out of tune with your own Party..what a bunch of real disorganised cretins..and yes I did predict CB would be under pressure from within UPND, its just time and the ‘Doc’ will leave your pack of tribal hyenas very soon…as mentioned the loss of Vubwi was the beginning of the end of UPND…sorry wanzelu you’ll be a frustrated and bitter satanist for a much longer time, that goes for you too dudelove, cjay,jay jay and the rest of you !diots.
Iye iwe uli wabufi ayi? I never commented on this FAO story because it never really piqued my interest. Ninshi ulubuli?
And if you have to talk about ‘towing the party line’ why don;t you start with your Party which has won awards in issuing disjointed and conflicting positions over a lot of matters. Case in point, the VAT 18 rule. Reversed today, re-implemented tomorrow. smh.
Dr. Scott announced at a recent public meeting, “We need to be careful with these people coming here and telling us that we are undernourished. They used defective tools in their research and we should not pay attention as a country.”
Well, the bird is home to roost finally. PF keep begging on the international stage, what image of Zambia do you think you portray?
Reports not too far out. Employees are not paid on time, how do their families cope. Farmers have pay delayed so much so they may miss the new growing season. Swanking around Western countries inviting more and more investors…..what is going on?
MANY CONTRADICTIONS HERE:
1. THE LATEST ZAMBIA DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEY WAS HELD IN 2012/2013. THE REPORT WILL BE OUT SOON. BUT WHY DID THESE AGENCIES CHOOSE TO USE OLD DATA FOR 2007 ZDHS?
2. UPND SEEMS TO BE AGREEING WITH THE REPORT AND IT IS GUY SCOT WHO IS DISMISSING IT. UNLIKE WHAT THE HEADING SAYS
3. IF THE REPORT IS BASED ON THE 2007 ZDHS THEN THE PF CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MALNUTRITION AS IT WAS NOT IN POWER THEN.
Firstly, it is difficult to reconcile the heading with the content. Secondly, I am of the view that whereas the statistics may be disputed as to what number we are in Africa on the malnourished table, to a large extent it is true to say malnutrition is abound in Zambia. This is on the basis of; a) not having enough to eat b) eating a limited variety of foods. The reason for both of these is cost. In Zambia food is treated as a luxury, when it is basic in other countries – even in some African countries that appear anarchic and a lot of things are expensive, food still remains readily available. There is also more variety and choice e.g. in East and West Africa. I have been to both regions and know their food portions are larger and they have variety.
i have always said these whites are not here for our good but for their own good…have they been to some countries in eastern and north Africa??? have they been to some countries in Asia??? This is just a way of embarrassing us so we could go begging for help in exchange for dictatorial conditions…
i totally agree with data obtained.
Look at people from Luapula. 90 % of women and men are 1.5m tall plus 5% blindness.
30% Easterners have strong cheek borns with decayed teeth.
Lozi ladies have long and thick feet and most of ladies from western province wear size 7-9.
Tongas are known for starving or conditional fasting and keeping unhealth beard.
Mambwes and Namwangas men, 51.77% have b/heads. These two tribes are known to have women with hair on chest and moustache.
Kaondes are sots.
When Fifa says Chipolopolo has been ranked #17 in the world you cheer praise the team but when Fifa says CHIPOLOPOLO is ranked #89 in the world you say a lot and fail to accept the truth.
Those guys look hungry in that picture. What happened to all the cows ba UPND? Undernourishment in Zambia can be quite extreme when you consider people who would rather keep the cow in the backyard when there’s hunger at home and the children can’t go to school. Simple solution is to sell some cows and make money for other things. Economists of UPND, spread this wise idea and help reduce these statistics which may well be correct
Dr.Banda just enjoy practicing medicine and stop wasting yo time and energy in UPND under HH!this man is disliked by many Zambians and won’t win u the presidency!if by election’s results was not enough warning for u all opposition,then wait for 2016!we all anticipated PF’s victory in 2011 as the wind of change was blowing across Zambia,an indicator which is not there today or tomorrow!PF will beat u all pants down in 2016,mark my words!so yo Lusaka politics has no impact on PF voters who are seeing real development!
how can scott understand the pain of poor zambians who cannot afford to buy proper food for their family. the only thing this white man knows is to sell our companies to international investors who are smuggling resources out of our country at a cheap price and selling them abroad at 200% profit. these indians and whites own our country people. they are all soo much wealthier than us. why are we allowing this my friends?
Iwe BQ, what news do you read and what planet are you on? Which companies has Dr Scott sold. Haven’t we just gotten back Zamtell and Zambia Railways that were sold for a song? All these companies were sold by MMD and now you blaming PF? Get a life man and flush your eyes!
Dr. Canisius Banda has contradicted himself. He has argued that the report is not reliable yet suggesting ways of improvement thus supporting the refutted report.
Somalia is number what?
Why are we constantly politicising things, this isn’t about UPND, MMD or PF and we are wrong to try and turn it into such. There are two things I would like to draw attention to.
Firstly, the report is flawed because it uses data which is 7 years old, but that is OUR fault because we have failed to undertake any research into the matter since that time. The truth of the matter is that we don’t know the current circumstance although it is likely (due to economic growth) to have improved we can’t be sure by how much. Unless all the data used was from the same time we are comparing a 2007 Zambia with countries in 2013/2014.
Secondly, we do have a lot of malnourishment in Zambia due to our obsession with white maize nshima, which has very limited nutritional value.
I ‘m disappointed with the UN report. Zambia being second in the world from Haiti on undernourishment ranking! This is untrue. I challenge the UN agencies which released this report to release accurate report on undernourishment ranking. There are countries in the world which have been experiencing upheavals through and through and their nationals have largely been subjected to most degrading conditions of food insecurity and these have been graphically documented. Anyone who watches world electronic media must have sadly been moved by skeletal human beings who are presented as evidence of acute food shortages in various countries. Zambia is not among them. If indeed we are the second most undernourished, Let the UN Start feeding every Zambian household.
I thought the report means that as a country we will be given priority by UN agencies in the fight against hunger & malnutrition.We should look at the” positive” side of this report.One can dispute the percentages & our position in the world,but hunger & malnutrition is a reality in our country,