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Sydney Mubaiwa in Masvingo
ABOUT 10 000 vulnerable people in Masvingo town are benefiting from a World Food Programme (WFP) project which seeks to eradicate food insecurity caused by the effects of Covid-19.

WFP is providing US$12 per month to the most vulnerable individuals from the city’s eight wards to buy basic commodities.

Beneficiaries do not receive the support in cash, but the money is delivered through an e-voucher card, which is redeemed at selected retail and wholesale shops around the city.

Some of the participating outlets are located in high-density suburbs for the benefit of the elderly and people with disabilities.

CARE Zimbabwe is WFP’s implementing partner under the urban food security and resilience programme.

Beneficiaries who spoke to The Herald last week, welcomed the organisation’s programme saying the aid came at the right time when food assistance was needed.

“As vendors our only source of livelihood was affected when the country was put under strict lockdown in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Mr Nelson Murimbarimba.

“This made it very difficult for us to feed our families.”

WFP, in partnership with local shop owners, is also pushing up the entrepreneurs’ profits as well as supporting local businesses in line with the Government’s devolution programme.

WFP spokesperson, Ms Claire Nevill, said they were targeting to feed half a million urban dwellers countrywide by March next year.

“Currently, the programme is benefiting 327 000 people around the country every month and according to projections, at 2, 3 million people in urban areas by March 2021 will be food insecure and the organisation is targeting to scale up the programme to ensure half a million people will be added to the programme,” she said.

“We are appealing to the international community to chip in to enable us to continue with the programme and meet our target.”

Of late the country has been hit by severe droughts, which have left multitudes of Zimbabweans food insecure.

Some of the beneficiaries of the programme are in Chinhoyi, where retailers have hailed WFP, saying they were getting good business.