ZAMBIA AND JAPAN CEMENT BILATERAL CORPORATION TO RESPOND TO EMERGING HUMAN DISASTERS

The Zambian Government and Japan, have pledged to continue strengthening their bilateral cooperation, to respond effectively to emerging issues that are negatively affecting human development.

Ministry Of Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary, Ms. Angela Kawandami, has acknowledged Japan’s continued assistance to Zambia in many development sectors.

She was speaking when Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Chief Representative, Mr. Tateyama Jotaro, paid a courtesy call on her, to discuss wide-ranging issues such as climate change, food insecurities, food preservation, crop mechanization, food value chains, and skills development among others.

Ms. Kawandami appreciated JICA’s support and therefore said collaboration between the two countries, could not have come at a better time than this, when Zambia is currently facing a food crisis which has been declared a national disaster due to crop failure which currently stands at 80 percent.

The Permanent Secretary underscored the need for continued collaboration as part of drought and climate change response to mitigate food crises.

She said the Ministry is currently undertaking enumeration to ascertain the extent of the hunger situation in order to do targeted response through emergency cash transfers and other interventions.

And Mr. Jotaro said Japan is keen to support Zambia in her endeavor to address food insecurities and climate change challenges that have significantly affected human development.

He hailed the over 60 years bilateral relationship between Zambia and Japan, which he said is a good basis for continued collaboration in many developmental sectors such as resource mobilization, capacity building in technology and expertise.