The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
THE United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has resumed a cash disbursement facility to over 100 000 vulnerable families in the urban areas who have been affected by the Covid-19 induced national lockdown.
In their urban social assistance programme, WFP will provide cash-based assistance equivalent to US$12 to people living in Gokwe, Redcliff, Kwekwe, Ruwa, Chinhoyi, Buhera, Chipinge, and Chegutu.
This was after they received funding from the United States through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“The financial assistance from USAID allows WFP to provide support to over 103 700 people with monthly cash-based assistance equivalent to US$12 each, enabling them to meet almost two-thirds of their daily food requirements for the next six months.
“USAID and WFP will reach the most vulnerable and food insecure families, particularly women, people who are unemployed, and people suffering from chronic illness or disability,” reads part of a statement from WFP.
In launching the facility USAID/Zimbabwe Mission Director Mr Art Brown said in addition to the cash disbursements they were also providing over US$60 million to support food distributions for nearly one million people in the rural areas.
“The United States remains committed to the people of Zimbabwe. In addition to the US$10 million we have provided to support the cash transfers for over 103,700 vulnerable Zimbabweans in eight urban areas, we are providing over US$60 million to support food distributions for nearly one million people in rural areas during the current lean season. During the pandemic, we will continue to prioritize our critical health and humanitarian assistance activities,” he said.
The WFP’s Urban Social Assistance programme is scaling up to reach 326 004 people in 22 vulnerable urban domains, from its target of 292 865 people across 19 urban areas.
