Great relief from Govt for drought-affected families

THE just-ended summer farming season was really poor.

The El Nino weather phenomenon precipitated a drought, which the Government estimates to be the worst in 40 years. Crops failed across the country, and water sources are generally parched so early into the year. Up to 7,7 million people are hungry and need an external hand to feed them.

The Government responded timeously by declaring the drought a state of disaster and appealing for international assistance to feed the needy. It, and its partners, is providing about 22,5kg of maize per person every three months.

In some cases, it is giving cash. The able-bodied who don’t have enough to feed themselves are working on community projects and getting paid for that.
Indeed, the situation was sorry in some households. Some were going without food for long periods. Mrs Janet

Nyoni of Binga said some were barely getting by eating baobab fruit. Yes, the fruit that thrives in arid regions is a superfood. However, anyone who has eaten it will know that it is sourish, best eaten as a side dish, not the staple it had become in parts of Binga.

Many more of our people were eating anything they could get, or nothing.
Mrs Nyoni’s hunger has been alleviated after the Government moved in this week to distribute food in her area.

“Today our communities will have a better meal although our challenge will be relish. It has been tough as some people were now surviving on baobab fruit while others were selling firewood to raise money to buy food,” said the village head.

Another village head, Mr Albert Nyathi from Fulunga, was also happy that he and his family will, at least for the next three months, look forward to meal time.

“This is a great relief because most families had run out of food as many did not harvest anything last season. There is however, an urgent need to review the beneficiaries list as some families that were left out have also run out of food,” he said.

The great work that authorities have been doing in Matabeleland North is to be commended. We, too, know that other food-insecure people countrywide are getting their rations.
With the amount of work we have been seeing in recent weeks, we are sure that the Government’s assurances that no one will die of hunger are true.

But Mr Nyathi made an important observation which we are sure would be looked into most urgently — that the people who got their rations in his area on Thursday aren’t all who are desperate. The Government and its partners will have to consider assessing the food insecurity situation in his area once more so that no one is left behind. This must be a national exercise actually.