Seven million Zimbabweans in both urban and rural areas
have been registered for food aid before the next harvest following last
season’s severe drought.
In 23 districts vulnerable households are already getting a
50kg bag of maize a month plus a grant of $100 to $250 depending on the size of
the household.
The number of Zimbabweans registered as vulnerable and food
insecure represents almost half of the country’s population with the crippling
drought last year devasating crops in marginal areas, reducing yields in the
rest of the country and limiting the scope for urban subsistence agriculture.
About a third of the vulnerable, or 2,2 million live in
urban areas so Government and its development partners this year started a
pilot project to extend food aid to urban areas targeting Epworth, which was
considered the urban settlement with the highest number of vulnerable people.
The country’s social welfare strategy is undergoing review
to improve efficiency in the distribution of humanitarian assistance and
mitigate the effects of last year’s drought and ensure vulnerable Zimbabweans
are cushioned.
For the first time this year, Government resolved to extend
food relief operations to urban areas to cushion the vulnerable from hunger.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister
Lovemore Matuke on Wednesday said Government and its partners were working flat
out to make sure all the seven million people registered as vulnerable receive
assistance.
“We have started extending food aid and cash assistance to
some of them but we are yet to cover all the affected people,’’ he said.
Deputy Minister Matuke said only vulnerable people in 23
districts – including Epworth – in the whole country were receiving cash
transfers and maize to cushion them from hunger. These districts were deemed to
be worst affected by food shortages and were home to the highest number of
vulnerable people.
“In the identified 23 districts a family of four gets a
monthly cash transfer of $250 and a 50kg bag of maize every month while a
family of less than three people gets monthly cash payment of $150 and 50kg bag
of maize. An individual gets a monthly transfer of $100 and a 50kg bag of
maize.’’
Government was also extending monthly cash grants to institutions
that look after the vulnerable at old people’s and children’s homes.
“For these institutions they get a grant of $200 per each
inmate monthly to make sure they are able to look after them,’’ he said.
The Deputy Minister said resources permitting, Government,
wanted to make sure that all vulnerable Zimbabweans get monthly cash and food
rations to improve their welfare.
“We are working to make sure that all vulnerable
Zimbabweans get assistance and we are working closely with our development partners
so that we avoid things like duplication. We should closely coordinate with our
partners so that households that are already receiving assistance from NGOs do
not double dip by getting aid from Government. This will help us to cover all
the affected people in the country.’’
He said the Government expected the number of vulnerable
people to spike in the next few months with expectations that Government will
also allocate more resources to allow the Social Welfare Department to cushion
the population from last year’s crippling drought. Herald
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