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Herald Reporter
The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) in partnership with the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) has moved in to conduct a ZERO HUNGER campaign in three worst affected wards in Mwenezi district, Masvingo.
About 4 500 villagers are set to benefit in the district, which falls in natural region 5, which is the driest and most arid region in the country.
In an interview ZRCS secretary general Mr Elias Hwenga said:
“The ZERO HUNGER programme has three major pillars which are Food Security & Livelihoods, Health & Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). The ZERO HUNGER programme is part of the IFRC and ZRCS’s urgent and massive action to scale up life-saving assistance to millions of people facing crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity in Zimbabwe.
“At the same time, through longer-term programming, the ZRCS will address the root causes of food insecurity whilst building upon its previous successes and work in support of government plans and frameworks in building the resilience of the most impoverished communities. The programme will target 850 households in three wards in Mwenezi district.”
Zimbabwe is experiencing a deteriorating food security situation, with 5.6 million out of 16.6 million people (33 percent facing a critical insufficient food consumption according to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Zimvac) Report.
A projected 38 percent of the rural households are to be cereal insecure at the peak of the lean season (October to December 2022).
Mr Hwenga said the factors driving food insecurity in Zimbabwe were multi-faceted and mutually reinforcing, compounded by a combination of climate shocks and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic which are exacerbating existing vulnerabilities affecting mainly the most vulnerable.
In 2023 it is foreseen that Zimbabwe will continue to be affected by the food security crises and already an increasing number of households are experiencing hardships.
According to the Zimvac, the worst affected provinces include Matabeleland North (58 percent), Masvingo (41 percent) and Matabeleland South (36 percent). This is likely to prevail in most typical deficit-producing areas through January 2023 and the peak of the lean season.
“The high inflation and climate shocks impact all sectors of the economy and are felt by the whole society, from the subsistence farmer to the urban dweller, as disposable income and purchasing power continue to be eroded. Most vulnerable parts of the population are hit in a disproportionate way, poverty-stricken households are overexposed to these hazards and have limited coping capacity,” said Mr Hwenga.
Online Reporter