By Robert Nayeja

Nsanje, March 22, Mana: Oxfam Country Director, Lingalireni Mihowa has called on authorities in Nsanje to move out from humanitarian assistance approach to implementing long term measures that should build resilience for people in Nsanje.

Mihowa made the appeal in the week at Mbwazi ADMARC in Senior Chief Mlolo’s area where Oxfam disbursed cash to 1,800 households that were affected by drought.

She said all stakeholders should to come together for resilience building mechanism to bail out people from climate shocks.

“Nsanje is the most vulnerable district and affected by either floods or drought including cyclones. Humanitarian response is costly,

“What we need to do, is to come together with long term solutions so that people can be resilient in various climate shocks, Time has come to invest in irrigation farming and support climate resilience programmes,

“There are multiple dimensions of the district challenges and people in Nsanje need to be supported. We have come here to donate cash to those affected by drought and each household will go away with K140,000 to buy food," she said and urged the recipients to use the cash for intended purposes.

District Commissioner for Nsanje, Dominic Mwandira said over 53,000 households are in need of relief food in the district.

He therefore hailed Oxfam for the support, adding this was complementing government effort in responding to effects of climate change.

Mwandira warned chiefs not to take away the cash from recipients, saying whoever will be found doing so will face the law.

The District Commissioner said government and development partners supports over 7,000 people in Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) and over 21,000 in Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) in Nsanje.

He said the social protection programmes aim at building resilience to various shocks people encounter in their day to day lives.

One of the beneficiaries Maria Kamota from Group Village head Chataika, Traditional Authority Mlolo said the cash from Oxfam will help her to buy food for her family.

“I lost my husband last year and he left me whilst pregnant. I have two other children. It has really been tough for me to feed the children. I thank Oxfam for bailing me out of difficulties,” she added.

Oxfam disbursed the cash following financial support from Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF)