UK pledges US$5.4 million for Zim’s food insecure

Harare (New Ziana)- Zimbabwe will receive £4 million (approx. US$5.4 million) from the United Kingdom to help support at least 110 000 food insecure people living in 8 urban areas, an official said on Wednesday.

Those who are set to benefit include the elderly, people with disabilities and child-headed families which have been severely impacted by Covid-19.

The support to Zimbabwe is part of UK’s global £47 million to provide food, nutrition, water, shelter to vulnerable people in nine countries.

The support, implemented by the United Nations World Food Programme, will come in the form of monthly cash transfers or electronic vouchers worth USD12 per person which can be redeemed in supermarkets.

In a statement, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Zimbabwe expressed hope that other partners would also step up and assist other vulnerable people.

“This extra UK aid support will mean people can feed their families and prevent the crises from escalating. We hope to see other donors step up to the plate with some extra funding to support the people of Zimbabwe through this difficult time,” it said.

Francesca Erdelmann, Country director and representative of the World Food Programme in Zimbabwe said, “We are so grateful for our partnership with the UK’s FCDO. This generous and timely contribution from the people of the United Kingdom will go a long way to relieve the hunger burden on Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable urban population. WFP and the humanitarian community are facing a shortage of funding, and this contribution will ensure we can continue to save lives at this critical time when the grip of COVID-19 on the country is tightening and putting people’s livelihoods on the line.”

Although Zimbabwe is expecting a good harvest this year, the World Food Programme puts the number of food insecure Zimbabweans at 5.6 million at present.

New Ziana