The Sunday News
Lackson Munkombwe Sunday News Reporter
THE World Food Programme (WPF) has spent more than $40 million towards alleviating hunger in Zimbabwe under its Lean Season Assistance (LSA) and Productive Asset Creation (PAC) programmes but will require an additional $169 million to cater for the 2,8 million people in need of food aid until March next year.
In response to e-mailed questions, WFP programmes officer in Zimbabwe Ms Sussanne Quadros said the organisation’s drought relief initiatives were aligned to the country’s economic blueprint, Zim Asset cluster on food security.
“WFP’s 12-month El Niño Response Plan for both LSA and PAC for April 2016-March 2017 is currently based on confirmed contributions of US$40 million, however, it continues to require US$169 million through March 2017,” said Ms Quadros.
“WFP’s programmes are directly aligned to the Zim Asset, ensuring that our activities directly feed back into the cluster on Food Security and Nutrition. Prior assessments, such as the Zero Hunger Strategy by the Women’s University and WFP, have been undertaken in order to ensure such alignment.”
Statistics obtained from WFP show that of 2,8 million people are affected by drought, and the organisation has assisted more than 750 000 people through its Lean Season Assistance which started in October 2015. WFP is also assisting 5 600 children aged between six and 23 months countrywide through the prevention of stunting programme.
Ms Quadros said the drought situation which has ravaged many communities has led to her organisation to formulate sustainable means of agriculture in the country and this includes the PAC aimed to bridge immediate relief with long-term resilience-building interventions.
She said: “PAC programmes intend to provide food assistance in exchange for work to create or rehabilitate productive community assets, such as weir dams, small irrigation schemes and dip tanks, which help communities build resilience to climatic shocks.
“WFP has worked with the Government and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) to utilise funds triggered by the facility to invest in a small grains project using conservation farming which has proved to be of high impact, protecting small farmers to a large extent from the impacts of the El Nino effects.”
WFP has since started conducting lecture series which they say are meant to raise awareness on the importance and role communities should play in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Lecture series are part of a nationwide awareness raising strategy on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2015-2030 as organised by the United Nations. Talks that are being prepared evolve around the general character of the SDGs, however, further one of the lead UN agencies is presenting on one specific SDG as pertaining to their mandates.
“The aim is to ensure that students are aware and engaged in the process of achieving the SDGs by 2030,” she said.
Recently, United Nations in Zimbabwe and its development partners mobilised $76 million for drought relief as a direct response to the Government’s appeal for $1,5 billion to avert drought which has since been declared “State of Disaster.”
The Government has also been mobilising resources to ensure that despite the drought enough maize is mobilsed to feed the people.
