WATCH: El Nino drought bites Hwange villagers

VILLAGERS across Hwange District are reportedly facing serious hunger due to the El-Nino dry spell that hit the whole country resulting in crop failure.

Few lucky ones harvested water melons using little rains that fell between last month and this month and some are selling these along the road.

WATCH here:https://youtu.be/C3L2bZtiRPE

Traditionally farmers would be in the middle of harvesting their crops while animals would be in good shape at this time of the year.

However, due to below normal rainfall received during the just ended 2023-2024 rainy season caused by climate change, virtually all farmers harvested nothing as their crops were a write off.

President Mnangagwa recently declared a national disaster in light of a bad farming season.

Chief Dingani Nelukoba of Mabale said Government should not use the usual selective approach when distributing food aid because almost everyone is in need of food.

“There is no food at all and none of the villagers has anything. Let’s not be selective because there is nothing for those supposedly well-up people. We need food for everyone,” he said.

He was speaking at a stakeholders meeting in Mabale recently.

Zanu-PF Councillor for Chidobe ward 2 in the Hwange Rural District Council Cde Bonginkosi Moyo said there is an urgent need to cushion villagers in Chidobe ward.

He said some were now surviving on watermelons which they sell to travellers and Victoria Falls residents.

“Chidobe ward has five villages namely Chidobe, Chisuma, Monde, Sizinda and Jabulani. This year we didn’t receive meaningful rains because of climate change and people have nothing to eat. Right now people are surviving on selling water melons that were produced with the recent rains. They are selling to get money to buy basics but generally the situation is bad,” said Cllr Moyo.

He said domestic animals were also in danger and farmers might lose livestock to drought as early as August.

He said the permanent solution to drought in the wake of climate change could be establishment of small scale irrigation schemes in communities.

Cllr Moyo also called for establishment of self-help projects for communities targeting mostly women and youth, who are the hardest hit by drought.

“We appeal to Government to help us with irrigation projects where we can produce crops all year round since the rains are now unpredictable. We believe that way we can sustain ourselves. We also appeal for projects that can help women and youth because a majority of them are jobless and have no source of income so we hope that if we can get any projects that can assist them our families will be sustainable,” he said.