VP Chimulirenji says no to hunger in Malawi
Vice-President Everton Chimulirenji says government is making all efforts to ensure that no one dies of hunger in the country.
Chimulirenji, who is also Minister responsible for Disaster Management Affairs, made the remarks on Saturday at Matchereza school ground in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Tsikulamowa in Ntcheu where he visited people who were affected by floods in March this year.
During the visit, the Vice President donated 700 bags of maize to the affected families who are currently facing hunger due to the calamity.
He said the DPP led government is making sure that they provide food to all families facing hunger in the country including those that were affected by disasters in different parts of the nation.
“As Minister responsible, I am aware that some people in the country are facing hunger. This is a worrisome development but as government we are doing all we can to make sure that we support the affected families like we are doing today. We will make sure that all people are supported and that is why we are also asking well-wishers to assist us in this initiative,” Chimulirenji said.
The Vice President said government appreciates the support it receives from partners in times of disasters.
“When we have such calamities we receive assorted donations from well-wishers like blankets, kitchen utensils, food stuffs, clothes, medicine. As government we are very thankful for this gesture since we cannot manage to support all the affected families alone,” he said.
Chimulirenji assured people in the country of continued support towards alleviation of hunger.
He called upon families living in flood prone areas in the country to move to upland places where safety is guaranteed to avoid occurrence of disasters which such communities face every year.
“It is a sad development to see people being affected by disasters every year. It becomes worrisome to see some people constructing houses along river banks when they know very well that it is a flood prone area. Let us move to safer places so that we serve lives and property,” the Vice President added.
Secretary and Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs Wilson Moleni said the March 2019 floods left 60 people dead in the country, injuring over 600 and displaced about 87,000.
The disaster affected 975,000 from across the country and in Ntcheu four out of the 5,500 people died.
Speaking on behalf of the affected families, Filimasi Mikeyasi said he was thankful to the government for responding to their needs in good time saying the affected families were in dire need of food and other basic needs to rebuild their families.
He said the families suffered a lot during the disaster that left them homeless as 700 houses collapsed, washed away their crops as well property and livestock.
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