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(TIMES) Veep launches food voucher programme

Veep launches food voucher programme

Vice-President George Kunda has launched the peri-urban food voucher programme in response to increased food insecurity which has led to heightened levels of malnutrition.

Mr Kunda said the food voucher programme would also be extended to other needy areas across Zambia, adding that it would be implemented on a pilot basis in Lusaka’s eight townships among them Chipata, Chawama, Chazanga and Mandevu. Other townships to benefit from the programme scheduled to end in June are Matero, Kanyama and George.

Launching the programme in Lusaka yesterday, the vice-president said the success of the food voucher programme would depend on strong collaboration from stakeholders in order to promote continuous growth, achievement and constant work towards self- reliance in the country.

Mr Kunda said with the support of the United Nations System, comprising the United Nations (UN), World Food Programme (WFP) and the Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASD), the programme would benefit a lot of people in the country.

He reiterated Government’s commitment to eradicating extreme hunger and poverty in the country, adding that it was for this reason that the Government signed the Millennium Declaration that aims to free men, women and children from the dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty.

The vice-president said the Government was equally committed to ensuring that vulnerable and food insecure households had access to food.

He added that Government would always promote gender equality, improve the health of mothers, children and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015.

At the same function, WFP country representative, Pablo Recalde, observed that hunger had been on the rise in the world.

The WFP representative said hunger killed more people every year than AIDS and other diseases in the world, adding that high food prices were estimated to have increased global poverty by some 130 to 155 million people over a period of two years.

Mr Recalde said the global economic crisis was having a negative impact on Zambia and its people. He assured the Government of continued support in the fight against poverty in the country.

He said this was why the United Nations System had been implementing different programmes in support of the Zambian Government and the people of Zambia in poverty-hit areas. — ZANIS.

Labels: FOOD, FOOD STAMPS, GEORGE KUNDA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 5:46 PM