Govt says K23.5 billion needed to fight drought, as Stanbic Bank donates K1 million for relief efforts

Government has reportedly received K1 million from Stanbic Bank Zambia, meant for disaster management and mitigation activities.

Stanbic Bank Chief Executive, Mwindwa Siakalima, said the funds were meant to help government respond to the effects of the drought which had hit the country.

Vice-President, Mutale Nalumango, received the funds on behalf of government in Lusaka on Wednesday.

Siakalima thanked President Hakainde Hichilema for the timely declaration of the drought as a disaster.

“The bank is aware of the negative impact of the drought on the agriculture and energy sector no wonder it is carrying out various activities through its social corporate responsibility,” he said.

Siakalima cited the planting of over 20, 000 trees on the banks of the Zambezi river as one such activity.

“The bank has partnered with GIZ, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation to build capacity in local people leaving along the banks of the Zambezi,” he stated.

The Vice President thanked Stanbic Bank for coming on board to supplement government efforts in the fight against the drought.

She restated that the country needs about K23.5 billion to help fight the drought.

Nalumango appealed to the private sector to emulate Stanbic Bank and come on board to assist the government in mitigating the drought effects as it looks to other countries.

“The economic situation the country is faced with is not man-made but is partly caused by the drought that the country is experiencing,” she said.

The Vice-President encouraged people to use alternative energy sources such as Solar and Gas.

She emphasised that what the country was experiencing may not be short term, and that people have to look at long term measures, saying farmers should irrigate and harvest water for agriculture.

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