Food and Agriculture Organization Country Representative George Okech says the prevailing hunger situation in the country does not warrant the government to declare a national disaster.
Speaking during the Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute breakfast meeting today, Mr. Okech said this is because all the indicators that FAO considers when declaring hunger as a crisis were in the positives.
He said if indeed Zambia was in a food crisis the Food Agriculture Organization would have been the first to call on the government of Zambia to declare so.
Mr. Okech said the Zambian government has shown commitment and capacity to provide food to the needy areas across the country with the help of cooperating partners.
He said from the Food Agriculture Organization’s perspective Zambia has enough capacity to control the food situation even before mid -next year.
Meanwhile IAPRI Executive Director Chance Kabaghe said there is need for government and cooperating partners to begin finding long lasting solution to the food situation in the country.
Mr. Kabaghe said with the continued good rainfall pattern being recorded in the northern parts of the country, there is need for government to concentrate agricultural energies to these areas so that they can produce for the need of all parts of the country
Meanwhile Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit Assistant Director Disaster Risk Management Lenganji Sikaona said the DMMU has enough food to supply all the affected areas.
Mr. Sikaona said the only challenge the unit is facing is how to transport the food stuff to affected areas due to impassable terrains.
We don’t need FAO to tell us that. Government through its staff clearly stated that HH was trying to make political mileage from something that was just affecting his strongholds of Southern and Western provinces. Te rest of the country had more than enough food
You must broadcast this the HH Garry and Jack. These fellows through their Mouth piece (Prime TV) have tried to cheat us that there is massive hunger in the country. They mobilise mangoes and routes which they give to innocent people and parade them before Prime TV to try to potray massive hunger in the country. What a shame!
Kept wondering: If Zambia declares hunger a national disaster, what will Zimbabwe declare? A generational Femine????
Nangu ni desperado, tulebako serious. Love your country and show Patriotism.
Wait until a real need occurs, otherwise Helpers will take you for “The Boy who cried Wolf” and fail to help when you need them the most.
Did these gentlemen get clearance from upnd before they issued these statements or have they been bribed by “PF thugs”??? Kwekwekwekwekwe we….
It was laughable to see Gary Nkombo alefolesha utumasaka twa seed ku Mazabuka. You did the same last year Mr. Nkombo. Where did the hunger for your people come from? Do not grand stage the hunger which not there.
He is just campagning to return his seat in 2021. Unfortunately we have had enough of your non performace in our constituency. We need new blood baba….. imwe ni zwaaaa!! Forget Mazabuka !!
He is talking about now, didn’t you already follow hh’s directives and distributed 10 kgs to several areas including your so called strongholds. Besides it’s irresponsible on your part waiting for FAO to tell you to declare food disaster. Others like the western world do it without any input from the outside. This shows how poor and bad you’re for FAO to come and check on hunger in your country, they wouldn’t do this in China
Goal……. Pf 27 vs UPND 0
and you are still hungry buddy or rather the hunger hasn’t gone away
On one hand Mr Okech says there is no food crisis in the country. On the other hand “Mr. Okech said the Zambian government has shown commitment and capacity to provide food to the needy areas across the country with the help of cooperating partners.” Doesn’t having needy areas across the country constitute a national crisis?
What is a nation? Zambia has 10 provinces and over 116 districts. If two provinces and some 31 districts (13 southern and 16 western plus 1 in luapula and another 1 or two eastern provinces) are affected by either drought as in the UPND strongholds and floods in the PF areas, is this national?
Is 25% a majority?
Mr Okech sir, having needy areas across the country constitute a national crisis. It would have been different if you said needy areas in one part of the country. Either you haven’t said anything at all or you are deliberately contradicting yourself
Even in the USA, you find needy people. People sleeping on the streets and begging for food. Should the US declare a national crisis? Your reasoning is pure under 5
Who has given authority for this Okech of FAO to determine when Zambia should declare hunger crisis in the country?Does this Okech even know the purpose of a country like Zambia declaring hunger crisis? Can Okeck inform Zambians which cooperating partners are now assisting Zambia in addressing the hunger situation which doesnt need to be declared as a crisis in accordance with FAO indicators? What are these FAO indicators? Why should a country be compelled to follow FAO indicators before declaring a hunger crisis? Mr. Okeck dont damage the reputation of FAO in Zambia. Zambians who are experiencing hunger knows what it means to live in a hunger crisis situation in Zambia.
This corrupt Nigerian can’t tell us anything
In the USA,Governors have the power to declare a state of emergency.They don’t need to consider how other cities are affected or wait for the federal government to say anything.They have a better understanding of whats happening on the ground.This is a good example of devolution of power.In Zambia the centralized PF government has no clue of what to do.
In flint Michigan they have been having water pollution for decades. Even in the US it is not all that works. It depends on the state. In most cases the federal government still intervenes.
On this one the UPND has been hammered. Like I have stated before Zambia needs a better opposition party, president Miyanda, Nawakwi and my uncle BO Sikota. This is the time to act and set up a new FDD and Heritage party. So we can slowly replace the PF.
So Nzelu from your perspective, this rhetoric statement from the FAO representative has hammered UPND?? What more evidence do we need to conclude that this FAO representative is a mouth piece of the PF government and president Lungu who doesnt want to declare a hunger crisis in Zambia??