The United Kingdom has donated more than £1,000,000 towards the hunger crisis in Zambia.

The Department for International Development (DFID) Zambia has since issued an invitation for proposals from NGOs with capacity to deliver emergency drought response activities in the worst affected districts.

This comes barely a week since UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema decided to declare hunger a national emergency, saying he wouldn’t wait for President Edgar Lungu to do that anymore while people were starving.

“Zambia is currently experiencing a drought affecting in excess of 1.7 million people. DFID Zambia is open to receiving proposals from NGOs with capacity to deliver emergency drought response activities in the worst affected districts in the sectors of food security, livelihoods and water. As the UK is already working with UNICEF in selected districts to set up emergency cash transfers and support for treatment of acute malnutrition, additional proposals for these activities are not sought at this time,” reads the call for proposals published on September 19.

The Zambian government, however, insists that the hunger crisis is manageable.