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Masvingo Bureau
Nearly 3 000 Tokwe-Mukosi families at the Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi have received a major food boost after Government delivered close to 500 tonnes of maize to improve food security for the flood victims.

The families were facing serious food shortages owing to lack of transport to ferry their grain from the GMB depot at Rutenga to their homes at Nuanetsi.

Government took over the sole responsibility to feed the flood victims after they were relocated from Chingwizi Camp to their permanent plots in August last year. The families get their grain through the Department of Social Welfare and the maize will be moved from Rutenga to the Mbizi area of Nuanetsi via rail.

Masvingo provincial administrator Mr Felix Chikovo yesterday said transport challenges that were hampering movement of grain for Tokwe-Mukosi families have since been solved.

“We finally got assistance to move grain for the families at Nuanetsi and they have been getting timeous and adequate supplies,’’ he said.

“The families recently received two months’ supply of grain and another allocation is now ready to be given to them again, which means they will have adequate food cover for the near future,’’ he added.

Improvements in food supplies for the families at Nuanetsi comes as the Japanese government through unicef also unveiled a $1 million donation to improve water and sanitation, health and education among other critical areas that require attention at Nuanetsi.

The families are also grappling with acute water shortages as only 32 boreholes are producing water to meet the demands of nearly 3 000 people. There were fears of disease outbreak as the families are relying on less than 300 completed and semi-completed latrines forcing most of them to resort to bushes to relieve themselves.

Most of the school children at the four primary and secondary schools that have been set up for the flood victims also require tents during the coming rainy season as they are currently conducting lessons in the open.