Govt responds to urban food insecurity…42% of households receive support

Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter

GOVERNMENT last year helped 42 percent of urban households to confront food insecurity, as it cushioned citizens around the country against the effects of drought, Covid-19 and other hazards.

According to Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) 2020 Urban Livelihoods Assessment Report, which was presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr Anxious Masuka, to Cabinet, the most vulnerable in urban areas were able to receive some sort of support from Government last year.

This was revealed by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa yesterday.

“Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that Government has been actively responding to the prevailing food and nutrition insecurity among urban livelihoods, with at least 42 percent of urban households having received some form of support in 2020. Government will continue to mobilize more resources to support the vulnerable as well as upscale emergency support and resilience building efforts. Government will also continue to implement the urban cash-for-cereal system, in view of the need to continue cushioning the vulnerable,” yesterday.

Minister Mutsvangwa also said that the Government was working on subsiding medication for the underprivileged that had chronic illnesses.

“Furthermore, the Ministry of Health and Child Care is working on modalities to support chronic illness medication so that it becomes accessible to the majority of the patients, including through the introduction of a Health Insurance Fund and possibilities of subsiding the same,” she said.