Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, Sunday News Reporter
A CO-ORDINATED response anchored on Government and private sector collaboration was instrumental in saving millions of people that were left food-insecure by the El Nino induced drought last year.
The Department of Civil Protection, the country’s disaster response and management agency was responsible for grain distribution to vulnerable communities to mitigate the effects of the drought following the poor rains across the country.
President Mnangagwa declared the situation a state of national disaster.
The declaration by President Mnangagwa allowed Government to mobilise resources and seek international assistance to address the crisis, primarily focusing on food security and humanitarian aid.
The issue came under discussion on Thursday during a workshop aimed at coming up with lessons learnt from the response of the El Nino induced drought.
The gathering was organised by the Department of Civil Protection with financial support from Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
“The Joint Flash Appeal between Government and the UN Resident Coordinator managed to mobilise US$143 million out of the targeted US$429.3 million, translating to 33 percent.
“In terms of the Domestic and International Appeal we are yet to ascertain the total monetary value mobilised against the appeal budget of US$3 billion,” Civil Protection Unit chief director, Mr Nathan Nkomo, said.
“The CPU didn’t record cases of anyone succumbing to the drought.”
Mr Nkomo said in the aftermath of the El Nino-induced drought, several interventions were implemented to prepare communities for future dry spells.
“In the agricultural sector, several interventions were implemented in response to the El Nino drought such as hay bailing for livestock,” he said.
“In crop production, initiatives such as Intwasa/Pfumbudza were strengthened in addition to planting drought tolerant seed varieties.”
Mr Nkomo said some of the recommendations for future responses to droughts and other natural disasters that have put in place include increased engagement and collaboration with private players across all sectors.
“Early procurement and distribution of inputs is vital as well as lobbying for more funding for outstanding programmes. Underground water mapping in the driest regions of the country is also important in mitigating against the effects of a drought in future,” he said.
Local Government and Public Service Minister, Daniel Garwe, in a speech read on his behalf by the director of Spatial Planning Dr Shingirai Mushamba said reflecting on lessons learnt from the response of the El Nino induced drought was key to preparing the country for future disasters.
“The El Nino induced drought tested our systems, challenged our communities and revealed both our strengths and areas for improvement,” he said.
“This workshop aims to share Government-led interventions in response to the El Nino-induced drought as well as sharing experiences on partner support and document lessons learnt from the drought,” said Minister Garwe.
He said the El-Nino-induced drought was forecasted by the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) in June 2023 and Government responded by formulating the 2024 National Budget to incorporate preparedness, mitigation, response and resilience strategies.
“The country experienced the worst drought in over 40 years. In response, the Domestic and International Appeal for humanitarian assistance was crafted and jointly implemented by the Government and its partners,” said the official.
“After the national disaster declaration by President Mnangagwa, a blitz food distribution programme was approved to ensure no one goes hungry.
“The blitz targeted the most vulnerable groups, including the elderly, persons with disabilities, orphaned and child-headed households and the chronically ill.”
