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Sydney Mubaiwa, Masvingo Correspondent
THE United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is set to scale up its food distribution and cash transfer programme to more than 7 million people across the country.
The efforts are expected to complement Government’s ongoing efforts to support over 7 million people who are considered to be food insecure following a ZIMVAC report conducted last year.
Speaking in Masvingo on Wednesday, World Food Programme spokesperson, Claire Nevill said close to 8 million people in the country are in dire need of food assistance.
“WFP has mobilised US$175 million to give food assistance to 5 million people in the country during the first half of 2021 and the number is going to be increased to reach a target of about 8 million people as the country has been hit by severe droughts which has resulted in erratic rainfall patterns as well as natural disasters like cyclones.
“With over 7.7 million people in Zimbabwe straggling to feed themselves, WFP is scaling up its operations to deliver close to 40 000 tonnes of food to 5 million people up from 3.5 million people in January next year,” she said.
President Mnangagwa declared a state of National Disaster in August last year paving way for the launch of Revised Zimbabwe Humanitarian Appeal to the International community in an effort to mobilise funds to cushion the population from the effects of drought.
“WFP has already delivering its urban food assistance programme and is also set to upscale the numbers to meet the targeted needy population,” she said.
She said the humanitarian organisation was exploring other ways to improve food security and nutrition among urban and rural communities as well as on school feeding programmes.
“With a shift in focus towards production assert creation, WFP is using food or cash as an incentive for people to work on community projects that will help them grow out of poverty and into food security for their families,” she said.
Some of the projects include irrigation farming, bee keeping as well as market gardening.
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