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George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Cde Ezra Chadzamira yesterday made a passionate appeal for help from well-wishers both within the province and outside to avert a humanitarian crisis in four districts that were ravaged by Cyclone Idai.
The appeal comes amidst a worsening crisis in Bikita and Zaka where over 3 000 households were affected by the rampaging cyclone that left more than 300 people homeless.
This has prompted Government to set up four command centres to receive help from well-wishers in the affected districts.
Cyclone Idai’s death toll rose to five in the province after one more person, who sustained serious injuries after a house he was sleeping in, collapsed in Bikita and died on his way to Silveira Mission Hospital. All the victims have since been buried.
A shortage of food, clothing and shelter in the worst affected areas has spawned fears of a serious humanitarian crisis.
Minister Chadzamira, who toured some of the affected areas on Tuesday to assess the situation, said while aid, including medicines, has started trickling into the affected areas, it was still not enough.
“We are appealing to every company in Masvingo to help in this problem where our people find themselves without food, clothing, medicine and shelter,” he said.
“We also appeal to all well-wishers beyond the country’s borders to offer a helping hand and as Government, we are trying our best to make sure affected people get help.
“We have set up command centres in the affected districts, namely Gutu, Masvingo, Bikita and Zaka, to receive assistance from well-wishers so that the help is immediately channelled to the affected areas to help our people.”
Minister Chadzamira said Government will also help bereaved families materially.
“Families who lost their loved ones have since buried them, but we will still proceed to assist them,” he said.
“Each and every household that was affected by the cyclone will get assistance from Government and we hope by weekend this assistance would have reached all corners in the affected areas.
“We have 94 households across the province that were completely destroyed by the cylcone and we are going to give these people tents, food and clothing.
“We continue to appeal for more assistance, be it food, clothes and tents, together with medicines to help those in need.”
Minister Chadzamira said the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) has set up a Provincial Command Centre to coordinate movement of aid to affected areas.
“We have started sending help to affected areas, but the items are still few and we appeal for more help from well-wishers, particularly companies in Masvingo,” he said.
CPU chair and provincial administrator Mr Fungai Mbetsa said they had started dispatching bales of donated clothes to the four affected districts to make sure victims had clothes.
Bikita DA Mr Bernad Hadzirabwi said a humanitarian crisis was looming in the district.
“Affected people here are still to get assistance and we need food, clothes and water treatment chemicals to avert a complete crisis,” he said.
“We will be dispatching a lorry this afternoon (yesterday) to Masvingo (CPU provincial headquarters) to collect some clothes, but there is a crisis on the ground because we only received 10 tents from the Red Cross, which is negligible considering the number of people affected,” he said.
Mr Hadzirabwi said the figure of affected people in his district might spike considering that assessment teams were yet to access eight wards in Bikita to assess the full impact of the cyclone.
He said the worst affected areas were Chedutu, Mukore, Masarira, Chiremwaremwa, Matsvange and Silveira Mission.
Online Reporter