Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Member of Parliament for Nsanje Lalanje, Gladys Ganda has urged government to provide free-of- cost seeds to farmers to help them with winter crops and soft loans for them to rebuild their homes they lost in the floods.
Ganda was speaking at Bangula Trading Center on Sunday, March 26 when the Minister of Health Khumbize Kondodo Chiponda visited one of the camps that is sheltering the displaced cyclone Freddy victims.
“Honourable Minister, these people are hard workers and ready to go back into the field to do the winter cropping after they leave this place but they would need government intervention in terms of seeds and fertilizer,” Ganda pleaded with the Minister.
Ganda also pleaded with donor community and other Good Samaritans to continue providing more humanitarian aid to the victims.
Responding to Ganda’s request, Chiponda pledged that President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera’s government will provide seeds and soft loans to the victims so that “people rebuild their homes” and allow children to go back to school.
The Minister also urged the people to seek medical care whenever they feel sick and that they follow hygiene methods to avoid waterborne diseases such that could threaten their lives.
On harassment of girls and women by men, the Minister warned would be
perpetrators that government will take swift measures to those men who are going to violate women’s and girls rights by sexually harassing them in camps and that government has decided to provide extra security in all camps as a precaution measure.
Later the Minister donated maize flour, Likuni Phala medical supplies, among others to the victims.
Bangula camp is regarded as the most crowded site in Lower Shire with thousands of flood victims being sheltered at the camp.
The Minister was accompanied by several top government officials.
The Tropical Cyclone Freddy rains have swept away villages bridges and roads, leaving thousands homeless and hopeless.
