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FIAN Zambia has called for the scaling up of initiatives such as school feeding programmes, cash-for-work schemes, and irrigation support for smallholder farmers to ensure continued access to food and other basic needs for vulnerable communities.
The organisation’s Country Coordinator, Vladimir Chilinya, said programmes such as the Social Cash Transfer had significantly helped vulnerable people meet their basic needs during the recent drought, aligning with the Right to Food.
He was speaking during the Civil Society Consultations on a National Budget Responsive to the Right to Food, held at Urban Hotel in Lusaka on Tuesday.
Chilinya noted that if sustained and adequately funded, such programmes could play a long-term role in addressing hunger and malnutrition, particularly in rural areas.
“We recognise the challenges the country faced in 2024 due to the drought. However, in response, the government rolled out a number of progressive programmes and initiatives,” he said.
He also reiterated calls for the government to prioritise investment in water and sanitation facilities, especially in low-income and high-density areas.
Chilinya said such investments would not only improve living standards but also contribute to the realisation of the Right to Food at individual, household, and community levels.
“The national budget is a key tool for policy implementation. While Zambia does not yet legally recognise the Right to Food, its realisation is guided by the directive principles of state policy,” he said.
Chilinya stressed the need for adequate budgetary allocations to support the progressive realisation of the Right to Food across the country.
“The goal of this engagement is to influence the national budget so that it becomes more responsive to the Right to Food,” he added.
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