The Government revealed that it has started distributing food to food-insecure populations in Zimbabwe as drought looms.
Global climate bodies and the Meteorological Services Department confirmed an intense El Niño event between October 2023 and March 2024. This has resulted in extremely low rainfall from October 2023 to March 2024, leading to drought conditions in Zimbabwe.
Most people who had planted the staple maize in anticipation of the rains are ruing as their crops have been scotched by the relentless sun. People in the country’s rural provinces will feel the stinging bite of the low rains.
To avert hunger, the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, July Moyo, announced the Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy Program. Under this program, the Government is now registering and distributing grain in the country’s eight rural provinces.
The 2023 Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC) projects that 26% or 2 715 717 of the population will be food insecure from January to March 2024. Matabeleland North Province has the highest food-insecure population, as 42% need assistance. In Mashonaland West, only 12% of the population will require food aid. The food-insecure population needs 100 482 metric tonnes of grain from January to March.
So far, the Government has distributed 2 722.46 metric tonnes of grain consisting of 405 metric tonnes of traditional grains and 2 317.46 metric tonnes of maize to 247 576 food insecure people under the Food Deficit Mitigation Programme.
On 5 March 2024, the Government distributed food to people needing aid in Mutasa, Manicaland Province. About 11 out of 31 wards in Mutasa have received 149.74 metric tonnes of maize.
Minister July Moyo added that affected communities and households should contact their respective Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, who will communicate the food requirements with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
Village Chiefs, headmen, and childcare workers identify and rank beneficiaries, prioritising the most food insecure.
Source iHarare
