adminSydney Mubaiwa in ZAKA
APPROXIMATELY 10 000 villagers recently affected by the devastating Cyclone Idai here, are in dire need of food aid, a senior Government official has said.
Zaka’s District development coordinator Mr Ndeya Nyede said several villagers in the area had no food reserves following the destruction of their homes, crops and livestock by rains between January and March this year.
Mr Nyede told stakeholders at a local Civil Protection Unit meeting held at Jerera growth point on Monday that they were also waiting for the results of the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Zimvac) report, on further food security issues in the area.
He said the most affected villagers were those in Wards 1, 2, 5, 10 and 18.
Zaka district has 34 wards.
“Villagers in some wards under Zaka North constituency are in need of food aid. At least 10 000 villagers from these wards are in dire need of food aid,” said Mr Nyede.
Ward 5 villagers lost their homes, livestock and crops, and bridges.
The flooded Chiredzi River burst its banks and swept away villagers’ crops.
Mr Nyede said there was need to educate people especially those living and cultivating near river banks on the dangers that could be faced during when floods pounce.
He said Government was working with its partners to start providing food aid to the affected wards in the district.
“As Government, we will use the Zimvac report which tells us the exact figure of households that are food insecure,” said Mr Nyede.
Ward 13 Councillor Manfred Mada said most people now rely on mealie-meal they buy from local shops while others are depending on hand outs.
“The situation here is unbearable. Many villagers had thriving crops but we experienced raging hail storms which destroyed our crops and reduced us to beggars.
“Most families were left with nothing to eat as the food reserves were also destroyed when the homes succumbed to Cyclone Idai. Our roads were also destroyed by the disaster.
“Most of us are buying mealie-meal from the shops as we did not harvest anything from our fields,” he said.
Online Reporter