President Hakainde Hichilema has highlighted the success of various social protection programmes and the vital role they have played in improving the welfare of vulnerable people across the country.
During his official opening of the fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly, themed “Enhancing National Resilience: Sustaining Socio-Economic Gains in The Face of Adverse Effects of Climate Change”, President Hichilema emphasized the positive impact of these life-changing programmes in combating food insecurity and alleviating poverty.
The Head of State highlighted key initiatives such as the Social Cash Transfer and the Food Security Pack (FSP), among many others which have played a vital role in supporting the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.
The President disclosed that over 2.2 million households have benefited from both regular and emergency cash transfers, a significant achievement given that these households often consist of multiple members.
He expressed satisfaction with the expanding reach of these programs, noting that beneficiaries of the regular Social Cash Transfer increased from 1,027,000 in 2022 to 1,311,000 in 2024.
In light of the ongoing drought, President Hichilema reassured citizens that the government is scaling up its emergency response through programmes such as the Wetlands Emergency Programme which has a caseload of 300,000 household beneficiaries.
He further revealed that 952,570 households that experienced crop failure are currently benefiting from a K400 monthly cash transfer, a vital lifeline for 12 months aimed at enhancing food and nutrition security.
