Government urged to declare the hunger situation an emergency

The Zambian Government must consider declaring the hunger situation in some parts of the country as a disaster, Caritas Zambia has said.

Addressing a media briefing, Bishop Director for Caritas Zambia Evans Chinyemba said places visited by the Catholic Church agents has revealed that 79% of the crops were affected by drought, 13% by floods while 4% were affected by both drought and floods.

Bishop Chinyemba named Southern, Western, Lusaka, Eastern, Central and Luapula as some of provinces that were affected in the previous farming season.

He said apart from crop failure, the prolonged dry spell during the last farming season has created water shortages for both animals and people with many households currently with nothing to eat and are surviving on wild fruits.

Bishop Chinyemba said the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops through Caritas Zambia and other stakeholders is therefore targeting to spend not less than US$9.4 million in helping 42,000 households who have been affected by the unfavorable weather conditions.

And Luapula Member of Parliament Emerine Kabanshi has commended the Catholic Church for coming to the aid of the people of Lunga district.Mrs. Kabanshi said the hunger situation in Lunga district is desperate and something needs to be done urgently.