By Chilungamo Missi
Blantyre, March 26, Mana: Mount Meru Petroleum Company Saturday donated cooking oil worth K 3.5 Million to the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (DoDMA) to support displaced people who are living in the camps.
Speaking after receiving the donation, Minister of Local Government, Unity, and Culture, Richard Chimwendo hailed the gesture saying cooking oil was needed in the camps.
“Yesterday, we were in Mulanje, Phalombe, and other places, we do not have cooking oil and people are using just water to cook beans and others. We are grateful to Mount Meru for coming in to support us.
“This is one of the responses to the call which the President made requesting companies and other individuals to come in and help,” he said.
Banda added that while DODMA was doing everything possible, there are other camps that have not yet been reached and they need food hence a call to other companies to emulate what Meru and others have done.
The Company’s Country Head, Raman Venkatesh said that after seeing how Tropical Cyclone Freddy has affected people’s lives they saw it wise to join hands with others to help.
He said, “The country is going through difficult times, many people have been displaced and many lives lost, it is our responsibility to join hands helping the government and provide a healing touch to the affected people.”
As of Friday, the number of displaced people was at 563,771, while the number of missing persons was at 533, and 511 lost lives.
