The disaster management mitigation unit (DMMU) has released 200 metric tons of white maize relief food to Kalomo district.

District DMMU chairperson, Joshua Sikaduli says the 4,000 bags would be distributed across the 20 wards in the area.

Mr. Sikaduli further states that 20 percent out of the consignment acquired from the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) would be for the vulnerable population while the rest is food for work.

In an interview with ZANIS, the district DMMU chairperson stated that the donation is targeting those who are not on the social cash transfer,

He further urged the assessment committee to do their job diligently when selecting the needy beneficiaries.

In another development, Mr. Sikaduli who is also Kalomo district commissioner says modalities to take FRA white maize for sale have been smoothly implemented.

He said this was in-order to cushion transport costs people were incurring to come to town to buy the commodity.

“I can confirm that each satellite depot is now being given 600 by 50 kilograms bags of white maize to last for 14 days of which they can have an option to buy again after they exhaust their stocks within the same period. Each household is allowed to buy one bag at K330 ” Mr. Sikaduli stresses.

The development has been necessitated following cries from the community that it was costly to travel to Kalomo town just to buy one bag of maize and transport it back to their respective villages.

Kalomo is one of the hunger-stricken districts following the drought that hit some parts of the country prompting the republican, President Hakainde Hichilema to declare the drought situation as a disaster.