Lunga District Hunger Situation Worsens

By Patricia Mbewe

A three day tour of Lunga District in Luapula Province undertaken by the Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition Alliance CSO-SUN this month to get first-hand information on the current hunger situation has revealed that the district did not harvest any maize or cassava this year as all crops were destroyed by the floods.

The findings however revealed that the district has seen an increase in rice production which survives in such terrains as confirmed by District Commissioner Elias Pengele although not enough to last until the next harvest.

CSO-SUN Country Coordinator Mathews Mhuru notes that lack of employment opportunities in the district has also worsened the hunger situation other than fishing and agriculture hence whenever there is flooding, people only survive on relief food provided by the government.

And Mr. Mhuru has commended government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit –DMMU- under the office of the Vice President in providing relief food and hopes there will be an improvement in agriculture production in the 2020/2021 farming season in the district.

Meanwhile, Mr Mhuru says the findings also revealed that there is a threat of continued rise in malnutrition cases in the area due to lack of diversity in food consumption.

Mr Mhuru says the people of Lunga are currently consuming two major foods which is rice and fish and engagements with the health authorities revealed that the number of people suffering from severe acute malnutrition has risen tremendously and that numbers are expected to rise as health authorities continue to interact with people in the district.

He says CSO-SUN therefore calls on the government through DMMU to increase the allocation of food given to the people of Lunga and diversify the food pack in order to meet the nutritional needs of the affected families.

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