The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has joined forces with the World Food Programme (WFP) to help to secure food for Zimbabweans who are stuck in poverty. The US$11.27-million aid, offered to WFP on 17 January 2024, is intended to provide food to 230,000 Zimbabweans who, according to a report by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee, are living in extreme poverty during the current lean season which lasts from January to March and sees rural households running out of food while awaiting the next harvest.
Moreover, data provided by UNDP shows that of Zimbabwe’s population of almost 16 million, over 4 million people were multidimensionally poor in 2021 (the latest available data) and another more than 4 million were considered to be vulnerable to multidimensional poverty.
USAD, WFP commitments
USAID Mission Director, Jeane Davis, said that USAID was “committed to strengthen community resilience to empower the people of Zimbabwe to help cope with climate change”.
For her part, WFP country representative and director, Francesca Erdelmann, pledged that the WFP will deliver assistance during this lean season and beyond to serve vulnerable and hunger-stricken families in Zimbabwe.
“We aim to make sure that every Zimbabwean has nutritious food. Today we are receiving cereal, pulses and fortified vegetable oils. We really appreciate this important contribution which will help vulnerable people in rural areas,” she said.
Erdelmann also commented that the WFP will continue to engage with communities to strengthen their resilience ahead of the anticipated El Nino drought.
“We will create valuable assets like boreholes and drip irrigation as well as providing drought resistant seeds to smallholder farmers”.
Lean season, El Nino add to already high poverty levels
The 2024 lean season coincides with El Nino weather patterns that will see Zimbabwe facing erratic rainfall and severe drought that usually result in low farm yields and food production and therefore heightened food insecurity. The situation is aggravated by the fact that more than 60% of Zimbabweans live in rural areas and are directly dependent on the farming sector.
Zimbabwe’s government has stated that the country’s grain reserves are enough to cover its needs until October. Nevertheless, it also admitted that many people were in dire need of aid because of poor harvests and poverty.
Is the aid enough?
Over the past few years, Zimbabwe has been hit by severe droughts and hunger due to climate change disasters and economic hardships. Commenting on this, the WFP director noted that about 3.8 million people were vulnerable during last year’s lean season and added that in 2024 the number may increase from the predicted 2.7 million.
The USAID-WFP 2024 contribution will see affected families in several areas of Zimbabwe receive 8.5kg of grain, 1.7kg pulses and 0.6 liters of cooking oil each. Both USAID and WFP have acknowledged that more funding is needed to cover everyone who is affected.
By the early 2000s, Zimbabwe was one of the most significant regional grain exporters. However, climate change coupled with poor agricultural reforms has seen the country becoming increasingly dependent on food aid.
