A government official has said the delivery of food aid to Zimbabweans has been delayed due to lack of funding.
Speaking during Parliament’s question and answer session, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare deputy minister Mercy Dinha said that the grain distribution programme should have started a long time ago but was delayed due to a lack of funding. She said, as quoted by NewsDay:
This grain distribution programme should have started a long time ago, but we were waiting for funding from Treasury to transport the grain to silos that are closer to the people.
We have been allocated ZWL$3.7 billion to ensure that we cover registration as well as transporting the grain.
With regards to transportation, we have not received all the money, by the time we receive all the money, the process will proceed smoothly.
From the figure we were allocated, we received about ZWL$8 billion in February and yesterday we received ZWL$3,5 billion.
We have not received all the funds and that is the reason why we have those delays.
The grain is there, the only problem is transportation to take it to the nearest Grain Marketing Board depots so that people may receive grain closer to their doorsteps.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that 5.3 million Zimbabweans are facing insufficient food consumption due to the effects of the El Niño-induced drought.
In January, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a contribution of US$11.27 million to the WFP in Zimbabwe to provide food aid to 230 000 of the most vulnerable people in Mwenezi, Mangwe, Chivi, and Buhera districts during the January to March 2024 lean season.
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