LAVENDER CHANDISAREVA
President Emmerson Mnangagwa said no Zimbabwean will die of hunger, as securing food for all citizens remains a top priority for the government.
The president said this while declaring a state of disaster for Zimbabwe owing to the El Nino-induced drought, which has impacted Zimbabwe heavily.
During the occasion back in April, President Mnangagwa said preliminary indications are that Zimbabwe needs US$2 billion in its national response strategy to the disaster.
However, the President reiterated that no one would die of hunger: “Top on our priority is securing food for all Zimbabweans. No Zimbabwean must die or succumb to hunger.”
He said adequate resource will be mobilised and directed towards national food security, including through supplementary grain imports.
“A robust and responsive mechanism has been put in place to guarantee that food reaches needy communities timely,” reiterated President Mnangagwa.
The President said availability of clean drinking water was also a key priority.
“My government will continue to roll out comprehensive interventions to ensure that drinking water is adequate for our people, for livestock and wildlife,” he said.
President Mnangagwa also appealed to all Zimbabweans, including those in the diaspora, the international community, United Nations agencies, development and humanitarian partners, international financial institutions, the private sector, churches and individuals to donate towards this national cause.
Data from the latest Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee Report, shows that 6 million people in the rural areas are in need of assistance, giving a total of 7.7 million people when added together with urban numbers.
The number excludes the 4.5 million pupils who require food under the school meals programme.
Speaking at the post-Cabinet briefing meeting this recently in the capital, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere said that the ZimLAC report has revealed the hard-hitting effects of the drought, that has Zimbabwe at the epicentre, with half of the country’s population food-insecure and in need of food assistance between May 2024 and March 2025.
“The Second Round of Crops, Livestock and Fisheries Assessment of 18 April 2024; and the Rapid Village-based Food Assessment concluded on 15 April 2024 established that 6 million people in rural areas will require assistance between May 2024 and March 2025. The Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee Report indicated that 1.7 million people who reside in urban areas will require assistance. A total of 7.7 million people, being 51% of the population will require food assistance. This excludes a further 4.5 million who would require school meals,” said Dr Muswere.
The situation has been compounded by the obtaining El Nino-induced drought that has seen 80% of the country receiving below normal rainfall, rendering more people food-insecure.
According to the United Nations, a total population of 7.6 million people urgently requires lifesaving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance and protection support, as well as livelihood support, so that they may recover their losses, rebuild resilience, and access basic services.
About 40 percent of the country’s maize crops was classified as “poor” while and 60 percent was “a write-off”.
The livestock sector is also not spared, it risks being seriously affected in the coming winter months, due to very poor pasture quality and lack of drinking water.
“Since December 2023, subsequent long dry spells, and high temperatures, coupled with poor rainfall performance, pushed the value of crop and livestock production to a very low. Estimates for the 2024 crop season are of about 700 000 metric tons (mts) of maize, out of an annual requirement of 2.2 million mts. More than 1.4 million cattle risk suffering deteriorating conditions or starve, amid lack of food and pasture.
“The impacts of El Niño have negatively affected local production, with estimates of a 52 percent shortfall,” the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr Edward Matthew Kallon, said while launching the Drought Flash Appeal.
He said: “To respond to the scenario, this Flash Appeal requires US$429.3 million for humanitarian partners to target close to 3.1 million people. The appeal aims to mobilise humanitarian action in support of the Government-led response and is directly complementing the Government’s own relief efforts.”
He emphasised that the drought appeal is prioritised and principled. Mr Kallon expressed his confidence that the activities planned are the most urgently needed to deliver immediate relief to the people who need it the most.
