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ALMOST half of people in Matobo District in Matabeleland South are in urgent need of food aid after poor harvests caused by the erratic rains that were received throughout the country last summer season
In an interview, acting District Development Co-ordinator for Matobo Rural District Council Mr Obey Chaputsira said most households are now relying on food handouts.
“Over 44 percent of the people in the district are food insecure, that’s according to the ZimVac report and there is serious need for scaling up the number of beneficiaries within the district.
“Currently we are covering around 6 000 households with 50 kilogramme bags of maize every month,” he said.
He added that the situation was not only affecting humans but also livestock.
Mr Chaputsira said although the situation was dire, the Government working with some non-governmental organisations was helping.
“There are NGOs which are also helping like Sizinele covering about four wards in the district in terms of livestock feeds and Caritas covering 900 households in three wards giving them cash equivalent to US$60 and in one ward they are working on a nutritional garden, on the other one they are building a dam and constructing a dip tank,” said Mr Chaputsira.
Member of Parliament for Matobo North Cde Edgar Moyo said households with able-bodied members were also in need of food aid, adding that there was need to drill boreholes in the area.—Thobekile Khumalo.
Bongani Ndlovu