Food Insecurity Threatens Millions in Zimbabwe by 2020: UN

United Nations World Food Programme’s spokesperson Herve Verhoosel said the situation in the landlocked country of Zimbabwe, located in southern Africa, is increasingly deteriorating and will leave more than 4.7 million people in a situation of food insecurity.

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Zimbabwe’s and Mozambique’s populations were hit by deadly cyclones earlier this year. These climate disasters along with other extreme weather events destroyed crops and created a situation of food security that is now rapidly worsening, Verhoosel explained.

Citing the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee, a consortium of government, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and other international organizations, the WFP said that the hunger period will have its peak at the height of the lean season, from January through March 2020, when 59 percent of rural households, or over 5.5 million people, will find themselves in a situation of food insecurity. 

“Given the scale and scope of the food insecurity in Zimbabwe WFP is planning to scale up to assist over two million people” by the peak of the lean season during early next year, the U.N. expert affirmed.

Until next year, teams will continue to provide food assistance to the most vulnerable populations and to help communities to build resilience to climate change and future shock impacts.

The WFP said it will require US$173 million over the next nine months, assistance aims to reach 1.2 million people in areas affected by cyclones and by the drought. 

The situation in itself is worrisome as 1.6 million people already face an acute food crisis in 63 districts of Zimbabwe. The most recent revision of the Integrated Classification of Food Security Phase, highlights the "difficult situation" the country of more than 29 million inhabitants faces, until its next harvest.