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    Zimbabwe plans to double ARC drought insurance

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    Harare, (New Ziana) -Zimbabwe plans to double its insurance against drought with the African Risk Capacity (ARC) to cover all districts in the country, a Cabinet Minister has said.

    At the beginning of this month, Zimbabwe received a drought insurance payout of nearly US$32 million from the ARC, which it has been a member of since 2012, as mitigation for vulnerable people in 27 drought-prone districts.

    The ARC is a specialised agency of the African Union established to assist African governments to improve their capacities to better plan, prepare and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters.

    Responding to media inquiries around food deficit response measures on Tuesday, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube said plans are to double the insurance cover to encompass all the country’s 64 districts.

    Without giving figures, Prof Ncube said as part of the food deficit measures for the 1.7 million urban food insecure people, the amount being paid out under the Urban Cash Disbursement Programme is a substantial amount that will be able to bring relief to the beneficiaries.

    He said the main emphasis is to give out food that people can eat instead of cash which can be used in other ways that would not support the family.

    “In urban areas, we are already running a cash transfer program and we have got adequate financial resources coming directly out of the budget allocation,” he said, adding that the US$32 million insurance payout is going to improve both the cash disbursement in urban and grain in rural areas.

    “Going forward, we would want to expand the insurance program. Currently, we are only covering 27 districts, next time around we want to cover all districts so we will be doubling our insurance.”

    Meanwhile, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere said Cabinet had received a report form Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka on the food deficit mitigation strategy and urban cash transfer program.

    The report showed that 62 796.84 metric tons of grain had been distributed to vulnerable and food-insecure people across the country’s provinces during the three-month distribution blitz starting last May.

    Modalities for the second phase of the distribution blitz from August to October are being worked out to include a grain movement plan, urban cash distribution plan, and mobilization of more financial resources.

    As at July 2, at least 62 796.84 metric tons of grain had been distributed to vulnerable and food insecure people across the country’s provinces as follows: Manicaland, 9 050.20mt; Mashonaland Central, 7 844.61mt; Mashonaland East, 6 207.03mt; Mashonaland West, 7 919.99mt; Masvingo, 12 246.18mt; Matabeleland North, 4 248.39mt; Matabeleland South, 5 201.15mt and Midlands, 10 104.95mt.

    In addition, 3 397.33mt has been collected to date by traditional leaders across all provinces under the Zunde RaMambo/Isiphala Senkosi Strategic Grain Reserve Distribution Program, while the District Development Coordinators (DCC) in the provinces will coordinate all activities for the impending Public Works Program.

    New Ziana

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