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Nyemudzai Kakore Herald Correspondent
Government in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), yesterday launched a $253 million five-year Country Strategic Plan (CSP) to build resilience, end hunger and boost food nutrition.

For this year, $53 million has been budgeted for the CSP programme.

Addressing delegates at the official launch of the CSP, WFP Zimbabwe representative and country director Mr Eddie Rowe, said the CSP moved away from short term food assistance to longer-term resilience technical assistance.

“We are delighted with the collaboration between WFP and the Government in our bold and shared vision of a hunger free Zimbabwe,” he said. “This new plan is an embodiment of our partnership.”

Mr Howe said the CSP was based on the Zero Hunger Strategic Reviews (2015) conducted in consultation with UN, humanitarian and development partners, donors, private sector and academia.

The new strategic is aimed at ensuring smallholder farmers have increased access to well-functioning agricultural markets by 2030 and food insecure rural households to achieve food security and demonstrate resilience to seasonal shocks and stressors.

Senior principle director in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Mr Ozias Hove, said CSP reoriented WFP to focus on supporting longer-term national, social protection and resilience so that every Zimbabwean was free from hunger and malnutrition.

“Government and WFP, working with other development partners, have successfully mobilised resources and implemented a number of successful food assistance programmes that have averted wide spread hunger among the Zimbabwean population,” he said.

WFP, Mr Hove said, was among the major contributors to the 2015-16 EI Nino-induced drought that rendered about 42 percent of the rural population food insecure as it has provided food to 1,1 million people.

United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Zimbabwe Mr Bishow Parajuli said it was of great importance to note that WFP was moving from short term to long term resilience programmes to address the county’s challenges of drought and floods.

The CSP is also aligned to Zim-Asset 2013-18, the Zimbabwe United Nations Development Frameworks (ZUNDAF) 2016-2020, the National Social Protection Policy Framework and the Food and Nutrition Security Policy.