SURVIVORS of Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani wake up every day
to hunt for the next donation disbursement point as they battle to restore
livelihoods ravaged by the furious tropical storm.
The donation craze, which is now a norm after Cyclone Idai
claimed lives of breadwinners, destroyed houses, workplaces and displaced
thousands, has seen some villagers moving from one distribution point to the
other, including those not affected by the floods.
Salvation Army’s Lieutenant Garnet Muringai, who conducted
the burial of the 21 bodies interred at
Chimanimani heroes acre at the height of Cyclone Idai
devastation, told The Manica Post that residents of Ngangu and surrounding
areas wake up to trek the next donation disbursement point.
Lieutenant Muringai said the survivors were in dire need of
warm blankets.
“The situation has improved in terms of accessibility, with
particular reference to Ngangu Township. We are really grateful for the
donations that we received from day one.
“However, we have realised that it is now a norm for people
to wake up to hunt for the next donation disbursement point. It is even
surprising how these people sniff the disbursement points.
“For example, it only takes a few minutes for people to
gather in huge numbers at one point before moving to the other. It looks as if
there are some social media platforms where such information is shared.
“It is worth noting that in terms of goods being disbursed,
we now have enough clothes, but blankets are still a big problem. Generally,
Chimanimani is a very cold area, especially in winter. Most families here do
not have enough and warm blankets.
“Some people from nearby areas are also taking advantage of
the situation to join queues and get donations meant for the survivors. We
suspect that some are even taking these goods, especially clothes for resale,”
he said.
Mr Thulani Sibiya, a survivor who lost his wife and son
during the cyclone, said villagers from other villages were besieging Ngangu in
search of donations.
“We have some coming from Machongwe and Shiri villages to
get donations meant for Ngangu residents yet their respective areas have their
own allocations of donations.
“It is clear that some of the goods they are collecting,
especially clothes are for other reasons, including resale. We hope authorities
will look into this scam and take corrective action to avoid disadvantaging
deserving beneficiaries,” he said.
Several countries, NGOs, business organisations and
individuals have donated a wide range of goods to help survivors in the
aftermath of Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani and Chipinge.
Victims are still struggling to feed themselves, let alone
their livestock.The SPCA has been helping to feed and vaccinate animals against
diseases.
0 comments:
Post a Comment