DMMU shelters displaced Kitwe’s flood victims

THE Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) has provided tents to flood victims in Kitwe District on the Copperbelt Province. ZANIS reports this is an effort to decongest Buchi hotel and Kitwe Institute of Education (KITE) where the affected families have been accommodated for the last five months. Working in collaboration with the Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRC), the DMMU has erected over 60 tents behind Helen Kaunda secondary school and 31 families have since been relocated. Speaking during an interview ZRC Kitwe District President Martin Sinyangwedisclosed that among the 31 families who have been relocated, 32 are senior citizens. Explaining that the oldest individuals are aged between 65 and 89, Mr Sinyangwe said the population of the 31 families represent 160 individuals. However, Mr. Sinyangwe expressed disbelief at the continued increase of numbers of families at Buchi hotel and KITE despite decongesting the two venues. “We have come to learn that some of the settlers are bringing in new people whom they are paying to camp at the site. “Their plan is to have double allocation of plots when the local authority commences exercise. “The actual number on our records is 312 families and this is the data we have submitted to the Copperbelt DDMU provincial office has,” he said. Early this year, families that have settled on the Kafue River banks were displaced by floods and are currently being accommodated by government. – ZANIS. The Sun