NOEL IYOMBWA writes
@SunZambian
GWEMBE district commissioner Justus Phiri has appealed to government to consider including proteins in the relief mealie meal sent to the district.
Mr Phiri said some health centres had been recording cases of malnutrition as a result of the hunger situation in the area.
“Hunger situation is there but it is something that should not cause panic among the people because we are handling it,
“Our only appeal is that Government should consider adding proteins in the relief mealie meal because we are witnessing some case of malnutrition in most government health facilities,” he said.
The District Commissioner however commended government for sending relief food to the area.
He said last week government distributed 8,960 by 12 kilograms of maize to people in the district.
He described the hunger situation as stable and called on people not to panic as government was distributing maize to affected households.
And Mr Phiri has refuted claims that a woman of Chief Chipepo’s area died after consuming poisonous cassava.
“My office has not received any report of that nature, if it was in Chipepo or Muyumbwe chiefdom I would have been informed so it is not true, “he said.
Over 20,000 households in Gwembe have been hit by hunger following a long dry spell that dried up maize and cotton fields in the area during last farming season.
The most affected areas are Syabbamba, Mabula, Syampande and Sompani.
