Humanitarian food aid should be used as a stop-gap measure as communities must be self-reliant and embark on food security initiatives that empower themselves against a vicious poverty cycle, a Government official has said.
Insiza Acting District Development Coordinator, Zibusiso Maphosa said food aid was only a short-term response mechanism that did not solve communities’ larger food security challenges.
Addressing Insiza Rural District Council Drought Relief Committee, councillors, private sector players and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Start Network supported food aid project close out meeting at Filabusi last Wednesday, Maphosa said the project was implemented successfully due to the collaborative efforts of key district stakeholders. Also,he advocated for community resilience against climate-induced shocks, such as drought, adding that food security schemes should create buffers among communities.
Stakeholders had gathered to reflect on a food aid project that was implemented by a local non-governmental organisation, Zimbabwe Project Trust (ZimPro) in response to a growing humanitarian crisis. Up to 20 828 people from 5 326 families in six wards of Insiza district in Matabeleland South Province benefited from the initiative.
Beginning in November last year, the food distributions were for three months, or three cycles targeting those severely affected by Elnino-induced drought. The impact of drought on the agricultural sector in the district was devastating.
Speaking at the same occasion, ZimPro Executive Director, Tobias Chipare, said: “Our major focus was to combat hunger and support vulnerable communities, a lifeline for many families who were struggling through the severe food crisis.’’
Insiza district is located in agroecological region 4 and 5 which is predominantly a dry region characterised by prolonged dry spells and poor sandy soils that result in low yields. Communities in all the 23 wards live in one of the country’s harshest climates, where seasonal rainfall is less than the normally expected 650 millimetres, making farming nearly impossible without irrigation. Average temperatures in the district have been on the rise with erratic rainfall further exacerbating drought conditions. As a result, the district is regularly hit by devastating food and nutrition crises.
The food aid, comprising mealie-meal, cooking oil and sugar beans, was a response to the unfolding food insecurity crisis in the district. “The intervention was in the form of conditional commodity vouchers to support the most drought affected households,” said Maphosa, adding that the aim was to save lives, protect key household livelihoods assets, and avoid negative coping strategies such as selling livestock and land, withdrawing children from school, children being used in casual labour for food, child marriages and sex work.
The food distribution marked a monumental occasion in ZimPro’s endeavour to coordinate work with the Local Government in the district, civil society groups, and other humanitarian actors to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change and variability and empower the local communities’ resilience.
Financed by the ARC disaster financing mechanism through the Start Network with Trócaire, an international NGO managing the funds and providing technical support to ZimPro.
Zimbabwe is taking innovative steps to protect itself against the financial ravages of extreme weather events through ARC, a continental strategy designed to help African Union Member States plan, prepare and better respond to extreme weather events.
When a severe drought strikes, the affected country can quickly access a pay out to fund emergency response, as opposed to relying on slow-moving, international aid. Zimbabwe’s embrace of the ARC is part of a broader continental push to strengthen climate risk management by subscribing to an insurance policy against climate hazards like droughts. — New Ziana.
