Speed up relief food distribution—Dodma

Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) commissioner Ernest Kantchentche has asked Mangochi District Council and other institutions tasked to distribute relief maize to speed up the process to save the targeted beneficiaries from hunger.

He made the appeal yesterday when he visited the district to appreciate the progress and challenges being encountered in the distribution exercise.

“I am happy that the exercise is progressing without commotion. This is good and it shows that beneficiaries were rightly identified. But my concern is the delay in distribution. Therefore, I urge you to speed up,” Kantchentche said in an interview.

He said the exercise was supposed to be implemented for three weeks since its inception in September to pave the way for another distribution exercise expected to start after the final Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Mvac) report.

Kantchentche said 11 683 out of the 39 512 beneficiaries have received the ration.

“As we get back to our office we will ensure that more trucks are dispatched here to speed up the process and complete the job,” he said.

In his remarks, Mangochi district commissioner Moses Chimphepo said shortage and frequent breakdown of vehicles affected the distribution of the maize relief.

Government embarked on the distribution of relief maize after the country experienced prolonged dry spells and an outbreak of fall armyworms which destroyed many hectares of crop fields.