Zimbabwe: WFP prepares for food shortages
A new report on food needs in Zimbabwe says that nearly one in five rural people in the country - an estimated 1.6 million people - are likely to need food assistance during the peak of the coming "hunger season." The number of people in need is 60 percent higher than the one million who needed food assistance during the last lean season.
The extent of the need is revealed in the just-published Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment (ZimVAC) report. The assessment, which estimates national food insecurity levels, is conducted annually by the Government in collaboration with UN agencies and non-governmental organisations.
“The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and our partners are gearing up to respond to this large rise in food needs,” said WFP Country Director Felix Bamezon. “Our field staff are already reporting signs of distress in rural areas, including empty granaries and farmers selling off their livestock to make ends meet. ”