Online Reporter
Theseus Shambare
ZIMBABWE’s early warning and anticipatory action systems have been praised as a success story in disaster preparedness, particularly in responding to the devastating 2023/24 El Niño-induced drought, the worst the country has experienced in over four decades.
However, authorities and humanitarian partners acknowledge that critical gaps remain in areas such as coordination, coverage and long-term sustainability.
This emerged during a two-day “Lessons Learned” forum held here, where more than 80 stakeholders convened to assess the impact of the European Union-funded Anticipatory Action (AA) Project.
The initiative, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), has helped Zimbabwe shift from a reactive to a proactive model of disaster risk management.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe, the Ministry’s chief director of geospatial planning and development, Dr Shingirai Mushamba, commended the resilience shown by both communities and institutions in the face of the El Niño crisis.
“We have made commendable progress,” said Minister Garwe. “This project introduced early warning systems, harmonised disaster frameworks, and pre-arranged financing instruments that allowed us to act before disaster struck.”
He said the Government’s swift declaration of a State of Disaster, followed by a US$3,3 billion global appeal for assistance, helped mobilise emergency food aid, support winter cropping, extend school feeding programmes and improve water access across all 10 provinces.
Vulnerable populations, including the elderly, child-headed households and people with disabilities, were prioritised under the Blitz Food Distribution Programme.
