More than half of Zimbabwean population will need food aid in 2024, Cabinet says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
A villager arriving in Zimbabwe's Buhera district on March 16 to collect her monthly allocation of food aid provided by the World Food Programme.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
HARARE – More than half of Zimbabwe’s population will need food aid in 2024, following a devastating drought that led to widespread crop failure, the country’s Cabinet heard late on May 14.
The hearing came as humanitarian organisations seek funding to save many from hunger.
About six million people in rural areas and 1.7 million in urban areas will require assistance, according to the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee.
Zimbabwe is among the countries worst hit by the El Nino-induced drought in southern Africa, with Zambia and Malawi also facing food shortages in 2024.
This is Zimbabwe’s worst drought in 40 years, according to the government.
The latest crop assessment presented to the Cabinet of Zimbabwe also revised upwards Zimbabwe’s maize production deficit to 77 per cent from last week’s predictions.
“A 77 per cent reduction in production to 744,271 metric tonnes is estimated for the 2023/2024 summer season, indicating a major shortfall for both food and stock feed,” according to a Cabinet brief.
A local consortium of private millers plans to import 1.4 million tonnes of white and yellow maize from Brazil and other countries to cover the food deficit.
The United Nations and the UN Children’s Fund have appealed for financial assistance to save millions from hunger.
This follows the government’s call for US$2 billion (S$2.7 billion) in food aid from well-wishers and donors.
Zimbabwe has failed to feed itself since 2000, when former president Robert Mugabe led land reforms that disrupted production. Climate change has also worsened the country’s ability to grow enough food. REUTERS
