Zim receives US$5,4m urban food relief from British govt

By Kundai Marunya

The United Kingdom government has pledged £4 million (US$5.4 million) to feed 110 000 poor people living in eight urban areas across Zimbabwe.
The pledge is part of a global package worth £47 million to provide food, nutrition, water and shelter to help over 1.3 million vulnerable people in nine countries namely Zimbabwe, Sahel, Syria, South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, Uganda, Venezuela and Mozambique.
Beneficiaries, who are highly vulnerable and food insecure in the country include the elderly, people with disabilities and child-headed households who have been severely impacted by Covid-19.
The aid will be distributed through the United Nations’ World Food Programme, in the form of monthly cash transfers or electronic vouchers worth US$12 per person which can be redeemed in supermarkets.
Even before Covid-19 hit the country last March, many people had been struggling due to high unemployment. Over 80 percent of the working population in Zimbabwe works in the informal sector.
Successive national lockdowns imposed by Government to combat Covid-19 have, however, worsened the situation as some of the few operational companies closed down after suffering huge loses.
The informal sector and other companies that are not into mining, agriculture and manufacturing among other essential services are currently shut down under the current lockdown, which leaves millions with no income.
“Zimbabwe is facing a humanitarian crisis which has been compounded by a deteriorating economy and the Covid-19 pandemic. This extra UK aid support will mean people can feed their families and prevent the crises from escalating.
“We hope to see other donors step up to the plate with some extra funding to support the people of Zimbabwe through this difficult time,” said Zimbabwe’s development director for the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
According to the most recent national data, 5.6 million Zimbabweans may be pushed into hunger.
The new funding is part of a wider £40.4 million Zimbabwe Humanitarian and Resilience Programme (ZHARP) which, through the World Food Programme, has since November 2019 provided food aid and cash transfers to the poorest and most vulnerable Zimbabweans.
To date, 413 000 extremely vulnerable people have received food assistance and 100 000 living in urban areas have received cash transfers.
“We are so grateful for our partnership with the UK’s FCDO. This generous and timely contribution from the people of the United Kingdom will go a long way to relieve the hunger burden on Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable urban population,” said Francesca Erdelmann, Country Director and Representative of the World Food Programme in Zimbabwe.
“WFP and the humanitarian community are facing a shortage of funding, and this contribution will ensure we can continue to save lives at this critical time when the grip of Covid-19 on the country is tightening and putting people’s livelihoods on the line” Nhau/Indaba