Nsanje District Council has distributed relief food items to 176 households affected by rainstorms in group village head (GVH) Kalonga, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mbenje in the district.
Speaking on Tuesday after the exercise, Nsanje district acting disaster risk management officer Patrick Sipuni said the rainstorms affected people’s livelihoods; hence, the support.
He said: “We thank the Department of Disaster Management Affairs for helping us with maize. We still appeal to other well-wishers to support these people with more relief food.
“We also ask well-wishers to donate farm inputs and hygiene sanitary kits to the affected households.”
On her part, GVH Kalonga said the rainstorms destroyed
people’s food, property and left six people injured.
“However, we need farm inputs so that we can plant with the rains. We do not want to beg for food next year,” she said.
One of the beneficiaries, Annie Sitole thanked the council for the initiative.
“We have been going to bed on an empty stomach since November 17 when it rained heavily. We will now use our time working in the gardens instead of searching for food,” she said.
Nsanje Lalanje legislator Bilal Abdul Karim (independent), who also supported the people with maize flour, plastic papers, relish, salt, plastic buckets and plates, asked them to use the items for their intended purpose.
“I will help to lobby for support until the people harvest their own food next season,” he said.
The people of GVH Kalonga relocated from T/A Mlolo last year due to floods and settled in T/A Mbenje.
