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Herald Reporter
More than four million Zimbabweans in rural areas, including children, will need food support this year after two years of drought, the World Food Programme (WFP) and other agencies estimate in the global food crisis report forecast issued yesterday.

The report was released jointly by the European Union, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), UNICEF, US Agency for International Development (USAID) and WFP.

The report says the food insecurity in Zimbabwe is due to the prolonged drought, climate-related shocks and economic challenges.

“Millions of Zimbabweans are already struggling to put food on the table, having faced prolonged drought and economic hardship for some time.

“It is imperative that we unite, to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe and provide urgent food assistance safely to prevent an already vulnerable population from slipping deeper into this hunger crisis,” said WFP Country Director and Representative Eddie Rowe.

Zimbabwe is among 10 countries where fewer than 20 percent of children between 6 to 23 months received a minimally adequate diet, further compromising   their lifelong quality of life, according to the report.

“Food crises have a major impact on the quality, frequency and diversity of children’s diets and this is compounded by the inability for families across the country to provide adequate childcare during these increasingly challenging times,” said UNICEF Representative, Laylee Moshiri.

“During this Covid-19 pandemic, we must act decisively to continue essential nutrition and health services for all children.”

FAO representative Jocelyn Brown Hall said measures to curb the further spread of Covid-19 have the potential to impact negatively on the food system in Zimbabwe, such as through restricted access to markets by both farmers and consumers, and a glut of perishable nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables.

She said deliberate measures were needed to prevent and mitigate against shortages of food.

Globally the report states that 135 million people across 55 countries and territories experienced food shortages last year.