Bulawayo, (New Ziana) – Government will soon start disbursing cash for food to 1,7 million urban residents across the country to avert hunger as a result of this year’s El Nino induced drought.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, July Moyo said this on Wednesday.

“We have just completed our Urban Resilience Assessment and it has given us a figure of 1.7 million people in the urban areas that need assistance in this drought year…,” he said.

“We will be working with the same social partners because those who are unemployed here in Bulawayo are most likely going to need the assistance of government to ensure that they get access to food. So we will be working with the Office of the Minister Of State, with the secretary of the province. We will also be working with all departments of government,” he said.

Moyo stressed that he will use powers as a minister to ensure that those who are responsible for coordinating food distribution work in harmony with authorities to ensure no one dies from hunger.

“I stress all departments of government and I will use my power as the Minister of the Public Service to ensure that those who are called upon to work directly and or indirectly in order to make sure that no one dies from hunger as declared by our President coordinates and works inharmony with the authorities that are here,” he said.

He said the government had started distributing food aid in rural areas,and would now begin disbursing cash handouts for food in urban areas.

“We are not distributing food in the urban areas, we are distributing cash for food in the urban areas,” Moyo said. He said a person will each receive an equivalent of between US$13 up to $20 in the local ZIG currency.

New Ziana