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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT is compiling a vulnerability database across the country to identify individuals who will benefit from food aid, a senior official has said.
The Government is set to roll out a food relief distribution exercise to cushion vulnerable citizens from the El-Nino induced drought.
This comes as the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) January report had projected that nearly 2,4 million rural inhabitants will be food insecure between January and March this year.
It also projected that 37 percent of urban dwellers could not meet their food requirements in the same period.
In an interview yesterday, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Cde Lovemore Matuke said Government is acting to ensure people do not starve due to food vulnerability.
He said his Ministry has started compiling statistics of families and individuals that require food aid in both rural and urban areas.
“When drought is pronounced, more people become food insecure. So what we are doing is trying to identify the number of people who will be more vulnerable as a result of drought. We are aware that vulnerability has increased. But this does not mean that everyone is expected to be given grain, but there is a process that is undertaken,” Cde Matuke said.
“At the moment we are in the process of identifying vulnerable people within communities through our Ministry structures. We have our district and provincial offices. We need to know the number of people that are going to receive food aid within a ward. Those who would be registered within the ward will get the food. As soon as data capturing is completed, we will commence food distribution.”
Cde Matuke said drought prone areas such as Matabeleland region and Masvingo will be prioritised in the food aid distribution.
He said President Mnangagwa directed the Ministry to distribute food aid even in urban areas as no one should starve due to drought.
“Government policy is to give out food even in urban areas. But what we need to do is to quickly work on the list because the President directed that even people in urban areas can be in need of food aid. Vulnerability does not end in rural areas. So that has been the directive. So we are working on coming up with a list. It’s difficult to do the mapping in urban areas but the Ministry is doing everything to establish a proper list of those vulnerable in urban centres,” said Cde Matuke.
He reiterated Government’s policy that food distribution is non-partisan.
“Food will be distributed without considering one’s affiliation, whether religious or partisan. The message is that food will be distributed to the vulnerable in society without looking at their social status. If issues of politicisation arise, then as a Ministry we will intervene to ensure that there is no discrimination,” Cde Matuke said.—@nqotshili
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