The United Nations World Food Programme has welcomed a contribution of $2 million from the Government of Sweden to help meet the food and nutrition needs of people affected by the drought in Zambia.
The funds will enable WFP to procure and deliver 1,435 Metric Tonnes of pulses to almost 400,000 vulnerable people to cover their food and nutrition needs for one month.
The new contribution, confirmed in November 2019, comes following the drought in the last farming season that contributed to significant crop failure, leaving 24 percent of the population (2.3 million people) severely food insecure.
WFP is supporting the Government to respond to the needs by delivering Government-supplied maize meal, as well as procuring and delivering pulses to ensure a nutrition-sensitive food basket. WFP will work closely with partners to monitor food distributions to ensure that resources are channelled to those most in need.
About 1.1 million people are expected to receive WFP’s support, while the needs of the remaining 1.2 million will be assisted by the Government and other partners.
‘’The generous support from the Government of Sweden enables the most drought-affected people to add protein to their diet, through the addition of pulses in the emergency food basket,’’ said Jennifer Bitonde, WFP Country Representative in Zambia.
The Government of Sweden is one of the largest donors to WFP’s development programmes in Zambia.
In 2018, Sweden confirmed a 4-year (2018-2022) US$5.7 million contribution towards promoting the production and consumption of nutritious food.
“Together, we have helped communities to access nutritious food, while building the resilience of smallholder farmers to future climate-related shocks,’’ said Ms. Bitonde.
If 2 million dollars could feed 400 000 people in a month how many people could have been fed if 42 million dollars spent on useless fire tenders was spent on food . Already more than 17 fire tenders out of 42 are already down beyond recovery. Zambians we are really docile, docility shall bury us. God is watching.
And we are told we have enough maize to last 8 months! What is it our donors are seeing in our “‘house’ which our Govt does not see? So strange
A Big thank you to all for this timely kind gesture.
The fact remains that the current situation does not amount to a national disaster. Climate change is affecting many parts of world in different ways. We thank our friends in Sweden for their kind gesture. But what we need most from them in the west is a reduction in production of CO2 waste which leads to negative climate effects here in Africa. Kz
Kaizar shut up, google famine and your country is the one popping up. Don’t you think it embarrassing and shameful especially in this social media era. Feed your people before the world does, you surely don’t want Lungu to have a dented image.
Thank you for the donation.God’s grace be upon you.The government hasn’t declared hunger a national disaster mainly because of tribalistic approaches no national issues.Sadly the technocratics appear like comedians just trying to keep jobs
That 2million dollars is stolen everyday in Zambia.
Iwe Kaizer Zulu waba ichikhala stanhyokho.
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