Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Mthuli Ncube has said ZWL$100 billion will be availed to deal with the consequences of the El Nino which the country is currently experiencing.
El Nino has negatively impacted the 2023/24 summer cropping season, threatening food security in the country.
Business Times reported Ncube as saying the budget has allocated ZWL$100 billion for grains to enable people to cope with the effects of the looming food shortages. Said Ncube:
The country is also expected to benefit from the development partners’ assistance to the tune of US$48 million through the Lean Season Assistance and Building Resilient Sustainable Community Systems Programmes implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP).
Ncube also said the the country anticipated that some organisations, such as Foreign Commonwealth and Development offices would assist vulnerable Zimbabweans. He said:
Foreign Common Wealth and Development Office is expected to support the vulnerable with cash transfers including food insecure people with a projected disbursement of US$ 1m in 2024.
Furthermore, the People’s Republic of China will provide food assistance in the first half of 2024.
On Friday, 12 January, Public Service Labour and Social Welfare Minister, July Moyo, said that the Government was working with the World Food Programme (WFP) to distribute food aid to 2.7 million people who are food insecure from January up to March 2024.
Moyo said the Government will cover 56 districts, while WFP will cover four districts: Buhera, Mangwe, Mwenezi and Chivi.
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