The World Food Programme, working with its development
partners, has escalated efforts to mobilise financial resources aimed at
providing food aid so as to mitigate the effects of drought-induced hunger in
Zimbabwe, an official has said.
WFP executive director, Mr David Beasley said the United
Nations food relief agency was mobilising resources to feed affected people,
particularly those in rural areas who were the most affected.
Mr Beasley said this here on Tuesday soon after paying a
courtesy call on President Mnangagwa on the sidelines of the UN General
Assembly underway in New York.
“Zimbabwe cannot only feed itself but it can feed the whole
world. It is a great nation and has many opportunities. We will put together
major financial operations to help people throughout Zimbabwe to make sure we
have food security with smallholder farmers and help those that have been
impacted by the drought. We look forward to a lot of good things happening in
Zimbabwe,” said Mr Beasley.
The meeting was attended by Finance and Economic
Development Minister Mthuli Ncube and Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Minister Sibusiso Moyo.
WFP and its development partners have in the past months
been working with Zimbabwe to address growing humanitarian needs in the country
following the launch of a revised flash appeal last month.
According to its estimate, more than US$331 million is
required to feed more than 5,7 million people countrywide between now and April
next year.
The meeting with Mr Beasley in New York was also meant to
enable the diplomat to brief President Mnangagwa on the several efforts and
achievements they had registered in mobilising resources.
It was one of the several meetings, Mr Beasley had in last
few months with the Head of State and Government and Commander in Chief of the
Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
Last month, Mr Beasley met President Mnangagwa to give him
an update after another meeting in Davos, which ensured that the Zimbabwean
leader was always seized with latest information on WFP efforts to mobilise the
required resources.
Mr Beasley said the revised appeal co-launched by the
Government and the United Nations (UN) showed commitment to move forward
providing support to Zimbabwe during these distressful times.
President Mnangagwa has since declared the El-Nino induced
drought a national disaster in order to activate local and international
agencies to mobilise the required resources. Herald
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