ZAMBIA Air Force (ZAF) commander Erick Chimese has said the military will ensure protection for people in the Luano Valley in Mkushi and also assist in uplifting relief food.

Lieutenant-General Chimese said ZAF had been mandated by the Government to protect the Zambian people.

He said this yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on Central Province Minister Philip Kosamu.

This was in response to the Deputy Permanent Secretary Ronald Sinyangwe who asked if the military would send a chopper to deliver food in the valley.

Gen Chimese said ZAF would orgainse a chopper whenever the provincial administration was ready to distribute relief food to the people in the valley.

Mr Sinyangwe said the administration was carrying out rapid assessments on Luano Valley.

Mr Sinyangwe said the people in the valley were wallowing in poverty and that there was need for the Government to distribute relief food.

He said the hunger situation had reached serious levels and called on ZAF to come on board and assist the people.

Gen Chimese also bemoaned the dilapidated state of the Chililalila Air Strip in Kabwe which he said played an important role.

He said it was unfortunate that Kabwe had no airstrip on which to accommodate cargo and other planes.