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Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent
The World Food Programme will be helping 230 000 Zimbabwean families with basic food and cooking oil between this month and March using funding of US$11,3 million from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The programme is part of WFP Zimbabwe’s goal to ensure that everyone in the country has access to a variety of nutritious foods and consumes the recommended amounts. Estimates show that around 2,7 million people will require some food assistance before the next harvest, with the Zimbabwe Government and WFP working to ensure they are helped.
The food in the USAID-funded scheme comprised 224 tonnes of cooking oil, 2 900 tonnes of sorghum and 300 tonnes of white maize, and each person is set to receive 8.5kg of grains, 1,7kg of pulses and 0,6kg of cooking oil during each distribution free of charge.
Speaking at the launch of the humanitarian assistance programme WFP country director Ms Francesca Erdelmann said the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) report warned that 2,7 million people would not have enough cereals to eat during this first quarter of 2024.
Ms Erdelmann said this year’s lean season coincides with the El Niño where Zimbabwe is facing erratic rainfall and high temperatures meaning there could be lower production and further increasing food insecurity.
“This assistance is critical for many people across the country and we appreciate USAID’s US$11,3 million contribution on behalf of the American people as we seek to support families in Zimbabwe,” she said.
“The assistance we are acknowledging today, which includes cereals, pulses and fortified vegetable oil, is an important contribution to help the most vulnerable people in rural areas to meet their nutritional needs. The US assistance will cover close to 230 000 of the 265 000 targeted by WFP people over the coming months.
“Through this lean season assistance, the collective efforts of the National Food Deficit Mitigation Programme in partnership with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare aims to reach 2.7 million people. We have mapped out areas where people require food assistance, identified households and individuals in need and registered them to receive support.”
Ms Erdelmann said their teams were on the ground working with partners in Buhera, Mangwe, Chivi and Mwenezi.
USAID mission director Ms Janean Davis said the erratic rainfall and drought caused by the El Niño had impacted the planting season as well as the 2024 harvest and created deteriorating pasture conditions for cattle and other livestock.
“I am happy to announce US$11,3 million to the World Food Programme’s lean season assistance, through the generous support of the American people,” she said.
“United States’ assistance will provide monthly food baskets for approximately 230 000 food insecure people in the drought-prone districts of Mwenezi, Mangwe, Chivi, and Buhera from January to March, the peak of this year’s lean season. Each participant will receive monthly in-kind food commodities of cereal, pulses and vegetable oil.”
Ms Davis said USAID has worked with the World Food Programme to improve food security for millions of Zimbabweans since 2000.
“In addition to programmes that address short-term needs, such as the Lean Season Assistance, we also focus on long-term goals,” she said.
“Our support promotes climate-smart agricultural practices, helps farmers access agricultural inputs and link them to markets where they can sell their produce, supports communities to protect and manage community-shared natural resources, and facilitates the development of extension services for smallholder farmers.
USAID is committed to continue to strengthen community resilience and accelerate sustainable development, which empowers Zimbabweans to better cope with the stressors such as the drought caused by the El Niño climate pattern.”
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