The ManicaPost
Luthando Mapepa Chipinge Correspondent
WORLD Food Programme (WFP) has pledged to source more funding as well as availing sustainable projects to the victims of Cyclone Idai in Chipinge and Chimanimani districts.
WFP, together with other humanitarian organisations, were on a whirlwind tour in Manicaland and Masvingo provinces this week to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Idai and sustainable projects they can fund.
Speaking during the tour in Kopera area, Chipinge on Tuesday, WFP deputy country director Mr Niels Balzer, who was accompanied by World Bank chief economist Dorte Verney, said WFP will partner other humanitarian organisations in giving support to the people as well as repair infrastructure damaged during the floods.
“WFP has been working with the Government for years and I want to assure you that more aid is coming to help the survivors of Cyclone Idai as well as repairing damaged infrastructure.
“So far our team, together with other partners, such as the World Bank are on the ground accessing the impact and damage caused by the floods.
“We have also visited some of the projects we were funding and we discovered that some of infrastructure was damaged.
“We are pledging to restore this as soon as possible so that people in these areas will be self-reliant,” he said.
Chipinge district administrator Mr William Mashava said they will take the opportunity to show development partners on how they can quickly resuscitate self-help project destroyed by the cyclone.
“Government partners are on the ground and we started with the most affected areas.
“We have taken this opportunity to show these partners the infrastructure like roads, clinics, schools, irrigation schemes and water systems, among others which were destroyed by the cyclone.
Right now everything is at a standstill and we are glad they are will to help.
“We are going to take them to some wards to show them the destroyed dams like Mahlatini and Bangwe as well as irrigation schemes so that they get an appreciation of what needs to be funded.
“It is our fervent hope that funding comes quickly to tackle a situation so that our people cease to depend on food handouts,” said Mr Mashava.
