Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
GOVERNMENT, in partnership with the People’s Republic of China and UNICEF has launched a two-year programme to support children and vulnerable communities affected by the prolonged El Niño-induced drought, with more than 150 000 children expected to benefit from integrated nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and child protection interventions.
The programme, funded through the People’s Republic of China’s Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, will be implemented in up to eight drought-affected districts as Zimbabwe continues to recover from one of the worst droughts in four decades.
Speaking at the launch in Harare on Friday, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Zhou Ding said China has responded swiftly after President Mnangagwa declared the drought a national disaster in 2024.
He said China provided three consignments of food assistance totalling 10 000 tonnes of wheat and rice and drilled 300 boreholes in drought-stricken provinces.
“China, through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, has also partnered with multiple UN agencies in Zimbabwe to boost agricultural resilience, expand water access, and strengthen public health and food security for vulnerable groups,” said Ambassador Zhou.
“The UNICEF-implemented initiative is one of the flagship projects, with a focus on practical, livelihood-centred outcomes.”
The initiative seeks to cushion children and vulnerable families from the lingering effects of the drought, which has undermined food security, access to safe water, nutrition and livelihoods since 2024.
Under the programme, more than 150 000 children will be screened for malnutrition, community-based nutrition services will be strengthened, and 400 Care Groups will be capacitated to promote improved nutrition, hygiene and child protection practices.
The programme will also improve access to safe and climate-resilient water through the rehabilitation and upgrading of water points, promotion of household water treatment and strengthening of community-based water and sanitation systems.
To improve access to essential services, the initiative will support the digitisation and solarisation of Civil Registry sub-offices in eight districts, strengthen birth registration systems and expand outreach services to ensure more children obtain legal identity documents.
UNICEF Representative to Zimbabwe Ms Etona Ekole said the integrated programme would help communities recover from the effects of recurrent droughts while building resilience against future climate shocks.
“This programme reflects the importance of integrated solutions in addressing the complex challenges facing children and families affected by droughts. By bringing together nutrition, WASH, child protection and social behaviour change interventions, we are helping communities build resilience while ensuring children survive, grow and thrive,” she said.
Government ministries, local authorities, district leadership, UNICEF and technical partners will coordinate implementation of the programme, which is aligned with the National Development Strategy 2 and national efforts to improve child welfare, strengthen community resilience and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
