Maputo, 16 Feb (AIM) – About 13,000 households living in the districts of Caia and Chemba, in the central Mozambican province of Sofala, are suffering from hunger.
The information was revealed on Thursday by the President of the Sofala Provincial Assembly, Antónia Charre, at the end of her visit to the Sofala offices of the country’s relief agency, the Institute for Disaster Management and Reduction (INGD).
According to Charre, many families are resorting to wild tubers, which she beliebed are harmful to human health, in order to cope with food insecurity.
“As we know, our country is facing issues related to the lack of food. There is drought in some areas. I have been to Caia and Chemba so we know that there are serious problems”, she said, adding that “Lack of rain is leading to food shortages and the most critical area is the district of Caia.”
For his part, the INGD delegate in Sofala, Aristides Armando, announced that the strategic plan for assisting families affected by the food crisis in the two districts has already been finalized.
“We are carrying out actions within a budget of seven million meticais that we have made available to assist a total of 13,122 families”, he said.
“We’re going to rehabilitate boreholes, purchase and install drip irrigation systems, distribute manual irrigation systems, establish greenhouses for vegetable production, purchase and distribute cassava and sweet potato seeds”, he added.
According to Armando, this will take place under the Post-Emergency Direct Social Support Programme, which is the responsibility of the National Social Welfare Institute (INAS).
(AIM)
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