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Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has commenced food distribution for the 2023/24 lean season, thereby putting food on the tables of 461 325 people whose livelihoods have been negatively impacted by El Nino induced climatic conditions characterising the agricultural season.
Mutare is the hardest hit district with 134 431 people in need of food aid, followed by Chipinge (111 523), Buhera (96 682), Makoni (56 511), Chimanimani (34 274), Mutasa (14 974) and Nyanga (12 925).
To ensure transparency, villagers and traditional leaders participated in the identification of the most deserving people.
Beneficiaries being targeted are those with no or low harvests, households with malnourished children and those headed by people with disabilities, orphans, women, the elderly, children or chronically ill people.
Each beneficiary will get 10kg of grain every month, hence a household with four people will receive 40kg.
There will be six cycles of distribution.
In Buhera, beneficiaries are getting grain, beans and cooking oil.
The Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) Rural 2023 Livelihoods Assessment Report informs and guides policies and programmes in responding to the prevailing situation.
The ZimVac report states that maize production in Manicaland fell by 28 percent due to the dry spell.
The phenomenon has taken a huge toll on the staple maize in the rain-fed regions of Manicaland, and the plants are already showing severe signs of moisture stress.
This has left many families vulnerable.
The ZimVac report highlights that during the peak hunger period (January to March 2024), 26 percent of the rural population is projected to be in need of food aid, which translates to 2 715 717 people, with about 100 482 metric tonnes of cereal required to feed them during this period.
Secretary for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mr Abiot Maronge on Wednesday said Government is stepping up efforts to cushion vulnerable people in the aforementioned districts, while the World Food Programme is assisting in Buhera.
On Monday, the Buhera District team started off with a quick meeting to finalise on logistics to ensure that food efficiently reaches the hard to reach areas.
ln Makoni, registration of beneficiaries was concluded in 10 of the 11 wards, and distribution of food started yesterday (Thursday).
In Chipinge’s 10 wards, beneficiaries were registered and two wards were covered, while in Nyanga, beneficiaries in four out of 10 wards were registered and distribution is expected to start soon.
Beneficiaries in eight out of 11 wards were registered in Chimanimani, while all the 10 wards were registered in Mutasa and distribution started yesterday.
The districts that are yet to commence distribution are reportedly waiting for the release of funds to move grain from the Grain Marketing Board to the distribution points.
“Government is availing food aid for people in six districts, namely Mutare, Mutasa, Chipinge, Chimanimani, Makoni and Nyanga, while the World Food Programme takes care of Buhera. For the past two weeks, our teams have been out engaging communities to identify and register vulnerable people who should get support.
“Government remains committed to ensure that every citizen does not go hungry and is leading the implementation of various interventions to ensure that no one starves. President Mnangagwa has categorically stated that nobody will be left out and we are out to implement that.
“Government will take care of its people, and as the implementers on the ground, we are making sure there is fair and equitable distribution of food aid. If there are any issues of any kind, including interference, the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, myself and the rest of the team will be there to solve them and make sure that the programme cushions citizens from hunger,” said Mr Maronge.
On Wednesday, The Manica Post caught up with some of the food aid programme beneficiaries in Mutare District and they expressed gratitude on Government’s intervention.
Ms Shoorai Daka of Takarwa Village in Ward 17 of Mutare Rural District Council said: “We are grateful to be receiving food aid from Government through the Department of Social Development. We had ran out of grain to feed our families and this timely intervention is welcome. Merchants are ripping us off as they are selling a bucket of maize for US$10. Very few can afford this and we are happy that Government has come to our rescue.”
Another villager, Mrs Sarudzai Mureyani said Government should continue distributing grain to disadvantaged people.
“Due to the prolonged dry spell experienced here in Marange, our crop is now a total write-off. We hope this programme will continue until our next harvest next year. The prices of grain and maize-meal are beyond the reach of many people here.
“Some of our children had dropped out of school due to lack of food but now they can go back,” she said.
In 2023, Government embarked on a Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy in the six aforementioned districts, with the total number of beneficiaries rising from 358 004 people (October to December) to 481 232 between January 2023 and March 2023.
The World Food Programme assisted 144 055 individuals between October and December 2022, and 179 155 from January 2023 to March 2023 in Buhera.
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