Chronicle EditorRobin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THE European Union (EU) has given the country more than US$1,5 million to strengthen its disaster preparedness structures in provinces that are prone to natural disasters such as flooding and cyclones like Matabeleland, Mashonaland Central and Manicaland. The US$1,547 million funding has been made available through the EU’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and will be implemented in collaboration with the Government and Caritas Zimbabwe.
In a statement, CARE Zimbabwe Country director Mr Patrick Sikana said Zimbabwe has not been spared from disasters which have negatively affected the livelihoods of the population prompting the EU to extend its support through the US$1,547 million funding.
“In the recent past the Southern African region has been faced with severe weather, such as the El Nino-induced drought, localised flash floods, storms and cyclones such as Idai and Eloise. These disasters affect the most vulnerable households in Zimbabwe, particularly women and girls, and many continue to experience loss of crops, livelihoods and shelter, and reduction of resilience to recover from such severe shocks and stresses,” he said.
Mr Sikana says the project will go a long way in supporting preparedness systems in the targeted districts prone to disasters through setting up proper and sustainable systems for cash preparedness, stockpiling, access to emergency Non-Food Items (NFIs), improving the safety, security, and management of selected evacuation centres.
CARE Zimbabwe said they will work closely with the Civil Protection Unit, Meteorological Services department (MSD) and Zinwa to ensure that they achieve these targets. This project will also focus on the roll-out and deployment of inclusive community-led early warning and early action plans and tools in selected districts, especially locations prone to rapid-onset natural disasters, such as flooding and cyclones.
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