The Zimbabwean government has announced plans to introduce a school feeding program to mitigate the effects of the El Nino-induced drought.
The program, set to commence this July, aims to provide one hot meal per day to school pupils. This initiative is critical to the learning and development of children, and the government is urging parents to cooperate and supplement the food.
The country is experiencing a severe drought, with 80% of the country receiving below-normal rainfall during the 2023/2024 season.
Despite farmers planting 1.72 million hectares of maize and other cereals, the drought has left 2.7 million Zimbabweans food insecure from April 2023 to March 2024. The World Food Programme estimates that 6 million people will be food insecure during the 2024-2025 lean season, with 1.7 million people in urban areas also affected.
In response to the impending hunger crisis, the government will distribute 448,350 tonnes of grain to households from July to March next year. Food-insecure individuals will receive 7.5 kg of grain per person per month from July to September, increasing to 8.5 kg per person per month from October to March.
Urban dwellers will receive monthly cash transfers to purchase a 10kg bag of mealie meal per person.
The schools feeding scheme will run until April 2024, with an allocated 121,483-tonne grain supply.
The government is providing grain and dry foods, such as soya chunks and beans, and is encouraging parents to complement these efforts by providing labor and relish. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is working closely with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to ensure the smooth implementation of the program.
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