HARARE, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- As Zimbabwe grapples with one of its worst El Nino-induced droughts in decades, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has stepped up food aid distribution in the southern African country while introducing measures to boost the country's resilience against drought-related shocks.
Declared a state of disaster by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa in April, the drought has slashed the country's cereal production by 77 percent, leaving 60 percent of the population food insecure. In response, the Zimbabwean government has launched a 3.3-billion-U.S. dollar aid appeal.
At a recent food distribution event in the Chingwizi resettlement area in Mwenezi District, Masvingo Province, a visible sense of relief was evident as villagers received double rations from the WFP, funded through an insurance payout from the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Group in July.
"The food rations have come at a critical time because I have exhausted all my household food stocks. I am very grateful for the life-saving food, which will also ensure that my young children continue to attend school," said Tariro Chitetu, a villager from the resettlement area.
Precautious Musingakuri echoed similar sentiments, noting that the rations of maize, legumes, and vegetable oil will prevent the community from resorting to negative coping strategies.
"The drought is taking a toll on us, especially on the vulnerable, such as women, the elderly, child-headed families, and school children. Many households here are now taking one meal per day due to food shortages. We pray that the government and its partners, such as the WFP, will continue to help us with food aid," Musingakuri said.
Mwenezi District Development Coordinator Isaac Mutambara highlighted the dire food insecurity situation in the district, saying, "Due to the district's proximity to South Africa, the young and the energetic are crossing into South Africa, leaving women, the old, and the young to fend for themselves. This is a disastrous situation that we are grappling with."
In response, through the intervention of the government and donor agencies, efforts are underway to climate-proof vulnerable communities, including drilling boreholes and establishing nutrition gardens to improve water and food availability in the district.
WFP Program Policy Officer Munaye Makonnen said the 6.1-million-dollar drought insurance payout is supporting more than 272,000 people in the hardest-hit districts of Buhera, Mwenezi, and Mangwe with food aid from August to September.
In an interview with Xinhua, Makonnen emphasized the increasing need for innovative financing to address climate change, saying, "Things are becoming more unpredictable, and this is becoming more difficult for small-holder farmers. So we are trying to introduce innovative risk management strategies so that people are able to cope with climate change, and drought insurance is just one of the tools that we are employing."
She pointed out that the WFP welcomes more contributions from partners and countries to support their premiums for the ARC risk insurance.
Lynn Chiripamberi, the WFP representative for Masvingo Province, urged African governments to embrace ARC risk insurance to build long-term resilience against climate shocks.
"It is now time for African governments to be thinking through how they support initiatives that prepare communities for climate risks and how they help them to leap over from just life-saving initiatives into longer-term, more resilience building that makes sure that within a bad year, communities not only have buffers but can also spring back without necessarily relying on donor funding for immediate assistance," she said.
Elizabeth Sibanda, ARC's communications strategist, noted significant drought insurance payouts to African governments this year due to intensified climate change, with future payouts expected to rise.
As a specialized agency of the African Union, the ARC collaborates with African governments to build their capacities to manage climate risks. The ARC's payouts mainly assist stakeholders to implement early responses to the drought, she explained.
"We are a donor-funded organization, and most of our projects are funded by governments from all over the world, and we therefore welcome any help from any member because we are battling sustainability issues and to make our operations sustainable. We need as many people and organizations on board as possible, including the Chinese," she said.
Zimbabwean Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube praised ARC's rapid-response solution for disaster risk management, noting that the payout will strengthen the country's efforts to mitigate drought impacts and solidify its resilience against climate-induced adversities.
