Government through the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, has concluded the national rapid assessment and enumeration exercise for Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) beneficiaries.
The Ministry has also expanded the coverage of Emergency Cash Transfers by targeting more than 720,000 additional new households in response to the price shocks which the country is facing as a result of crop failure.
Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Ms. Doreen Mwamba, has stated that the national rapid assessment and enumeration exercise will therefore not only outline strategies and response measures to the drought but also contribute to the development of a comprehensive national social registry.
The Minister was speaking when United Nations agencies namely UNICEF, UNHCR, and UNFPA, paid a courtesy call to her, to discuss wide-ranging issues bordering on humanitarian crises such as drought, climate change, gender-based violence, child abuse among others.
Ms Mwamba appreciated the support from cooperating partners and disclosed that the government has disbursed funds towards the payment of emergency cash transfers to more than 450,000 households in 39 districts covered by the urban price shock and food security shock response initiatives.
She said this will also help to effectively and comprehensively respond to the drought situation, which was declared a national disaster and emergency by Republican President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema on 29th February 2024.
And in the quest to empower more women, the Minister further said Government will also implement the emergency wetlands cropping intervention under the Food Security Pack (FSP) programme to support an additional 300,000 farmer households to grow maize and vegetables using irrigation facilities during the dry season to promote food security.
Meanwhile, UNFPA country representative, Mr. Seth Broekman, appreciated the Government for the emergency response efforts and strategies and pledged support and strengthened collaboration to offer support to those affected by the drought.
He said the United Nations is ready to ride on Government commitment to foster effective social protection for the poor and vulnerable, and also to ensure that people are protected from all sorts of human rights abuses amidst the humanitarian crisis.
