The Department of Social Welfare in Western Province has disbursed over K24 million to 13,729 households in Mongu District under the price shock response.
Provincial Social Welfare Officer, Mulemba Kaleyi disclosed that the six months emergency cash transfer which ends this month was targeting the vulnerable households in Mongu district due to the high cost of living caused by high price of food and fuel in the area.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Mongu today, Ms Kaleyi stated that the price of food had gone high as a result of kwacha depreciation as well as partial droughts in certain areas which have led to poor and low harvest, affecting many families and households.
“Due to the hike in fuel and food prices caused as a result of kwacha depreciation, the government has implemented the emergency social cash transfer as well as the price shock response in which 13,729 households in Mongu district have benefited,” she said.
Ms Kaleyi mentioned that the beneficiaries of the emergency cash transfer were being paid K600 by-monthly for six months.
She further disclosed that the department in the province is also implementing the emergency cash transfer in four districts that include Mitete, Shangombo, Mulobezi and Sikongo targeting about 33,000 households respectively.
Ms Kaleyi said that the programme which is meant to support the partial drought affected households in the named districts started in March and will run for six months up to August this year.
She expressed gratitude to the government’s quick response to render help to the affected families, especially in Sikongo where it was reported that some people were feeding on wild tubers due to hunger.
Ms Kaleyi urged the recipients of the money to use it prudently in order to provide proper nutrition to their families.
“As a department, we are happy that the government has responded quickly to help the affected people, the situation was bad, especially in Sikongo where we received reports that certain families were feeding on wild roots due to lack of food,” she stated.
