Communities in Ward 28 of the West Kwaio Constituency, Malaita Province, are urgently appealing to responsible authorities for assistance after their food gardens were destroyed by flooding from the Kwaleunga River following recent heavy rainfall.
The affected communities raised their concerns after prolonged bad weather caused the river to overflow, washing away food gardens located along its banks.
The damage has left many families without food and facing immediate hardship.
Local resident and concerned mother, Joyce Kateri, said the flooding wiped out nearly all food crops grown by communities living near the river. Crops destroyed include sweet potatoes, taro, cassava, bananas, sugarcane, cabbage, and several other staple foods relied upon for daily survival.
“Our people really need help from responsible authorities,” Ms Kateri said.
“The Kwaleunga River came down strongly after the heavy rain and washed away all our food gardens beside the river.”
She explained that more than ten communities depend on food gardens located along the riverbanks, making the impact of the flooding widespread and severe.
According to Ms Kateri, the heavy rainfall experienced over the past month caused the river to burst its banks, destroying gardens and covering fertile land with gravel and debris, making replanting difficult in the short term.
“The river run destroyed many food gardens and covered them with gravel. This is the worst situation we are facing now,” she said.
Ms Kateri added that many families are currently living without sufficient food, as their main source of subsistence has been completely wiped out.
“The worst thing at the moment is that people are living without food because their gardens were destroyed by the heavy rain,” she said. “Families whose gardens were washed away are now facing hunger.”
She said the situation has left communities vulnerable and struggling to meet basic needs, especially for children, elderly people, and vulnerable families.
Ms Kateri is calling on responsible authorities, disaster response agencies, and relevant stakeholders to provide immediate food assistance and support to the affected communities.
“Food is what our people really need at the moment,” she said. “I would like to call upon responsible authorities to assist those who were most affected by the flash flooding during the recent bad weather.”
Community leaders say urgent intervention is needed to prevent worsening food insecurity as families work to recover from the disaster.
By Lesley Foinagwa
MASI Stringer
