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Fairness Moyana
Business Correspondent, THE United States government, through its humanitarian arm — the US Agency for International Development (USAID) — has released $22 million for food aid to needy communities following a poor harvest.
The donor agency, in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP), launched its lean season assistance in Nekabandama in Hwange on Tuesday.
USAID mission director Stephanie Funk noted the poor weather conditions that had resulted in widespread crop failure across the country.
“We’re announcing assistance to vulnerable Zimbabweans for the upcoming lean season. Some hard-hit wards experienced as much as 100 percent crop failure, which has rendered many Zimbabweans food insecure. To help address the gap, I’m pleased to announce here today that the United States government through the US Agency for International Development is providing over $22 million to the World Food Programme this year to meet the immediate food insecurity needs of hundreds and thousands of rural Zimbabweans,” she said.
Funk said total humanitarian assistance support from the US exceeds $27 million from the period June to March next year with a reach of over 300,000 people countrywide.
She, however, said food aid alone was not enough to address the food insecurity and poverty hence USAID was also investing in agriculture and improved livelihoods opportunities such as nutrition and livestock production.
“We recognise that while humanitarian assistance alone isn’t enough, the root causes of food insecurity and poverty must be tackled. To move beyond humanitarian efforts, USAID puts great emphasis and investment in promoting agriculture and improved livelihoods opportunities, as well as improving nutrition for those affected by food insecurity,” she added.
In addition to the $22.5 million contribution to the World Food Programme (WFP) this year, USAID has provided an additional $5 million to World Vision and Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture to respond to food security shocks across 10 districts in Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland North and South benefiting 300, 000 people.
Hwange district is one of the most affected places along with Binga, according to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZIMVAC) with 28.9 percent of households facing starvation due to drought particularly during the lean season.
Poor weather conditions during the 2014/15 agricultural season, including erratic rainfall and long dry spells, contributed to large-scale crop failure across the country.
Present at the launch were chiefs Nekatambe, Shana, Nelukoba-Dingani and Whange, acting District Administrator Tapera Mugoriya, WFP deputy country director Niels Balzer and World Vision Zimbabwe director, Eddy Brown.
Online Reporter