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Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Government, the United Nations system and other partners have heightened efforts on providing comprehensive humanitarian assistance in Cyclone Idai-affected areas, with victims expected to start receiving cash to allow them to meet their daily needs.

An inter-cluster group has been constituted at national, provincial and district level to look into several issues, one of which is the launch of Cash Transfer Programming.

Cash Transfer Programming refers to all programmes where cash (or vouchers for goods) is directly provided to programme participants.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the provision of cash, when appropriate, empowers the affected population to decide on their own how to meet their own needs using available local resources.

A situation report compiled by UN Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe on Cyclone Idai that claimed hundreds of lives and left a trail of destruction in Manicaland Province, states that a chair for the working group on Cash Transfer Programming is yet to be chosen.

“The UN system together with the humanitarian partners are fully engaged with the Government of Zimbabwe to provide all comprehensive humanitarian assistance across all sectors,” reads the report made available at the weekend.

“Inter-cluster coordination group (ICCG) meetings are taking place every Wednesday in Harare, replicated at Mutare level every Friday, while in Chipinge the partners are meeting daily. The ICCG is reviewing the locales for coordination meetings, to get the balance right vis-à-vis staff presence and Government engagement at district, provincial and national levels. The ICCG agrees to form a working group on multi-sectoral Cash Transfer Programming; chairing arrangements to be determined.”

The report said oral cholera vaccination targeting 336 699 people in Chipinge and 139 635 in Chimanimani is already under way.

“Food Security Cluster partners have so far assisted an estimated 155 000 people in the worst affected areas of Chimanimani and Chipinge, out of an initial target of 270 000. About 70 000 people have gained access to a sufficient quantity of water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene, out of an initial target of 270 000,” reads the report.

The report indicated that the Mi8 helicopter made available by the World Food Programme as a common service to the humanitarian community through the Logistics Cluster had completed 28 rotations, transporting a total of 53,8 metric tons of relief items on behalf of partners.

“Road access is improving in the affected districts; most wards can now be accessed by road, although wet weather is at times making some roads temporarily impassable,” the reports reads.

The report also said school supplies had started to arrive in country, and will be warehoused in Chimanimani and Chipinge.

“UNICEF is currently working with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to develop a distribution plan for emergency supplies so that they are in schools before the beginning of the second school term,” reads the report.

It also indicated that all efforts were being made to ensure that those schools closed early owing to the cyclone will open soon.

UN Report Highlights

• The ICCG agrees to unveil a multisectoral cash-transfer programming
• WFP helicopter delivers 53,8 metric tons of relief items
• Road access improving in the affected districts
• School supplies have started to arrive in country, distribution to start soon and set to get to schools before schools reopen
• Food Security Cluster partners have assisted about 155 000 people
• At least 70 473 people have regained access to a sufficient quantity of water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene through provision of water treatment tablets, temporary repairs to water systems and water trucking.
• Psycho-social support being provided for affected and traumatised victims
• Oral cholera vaccination targeting 336 699 people in Chipinge and 139 635 in Chimanimani is under way