Tag: WFP

Stunting Remains a Critical Challenge for Zimbabwe’s Children, Report Reveals

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  Despite improvements in several food security and nutrition indicators, stunting rates among children under five in Zimbabwe remain alarmingly high, posing a significant threat to the nation’s human capital and long-term development, according to the recently released 2025 Rural Livelihoods Assessment Report. The report, produced by the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC), indicates that 23.8% of children aged 6-59 months are stunted. Stunting, defined as impaired growth and development due to poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation, has lifelong consequences for health, cognitive ability, and economic productivity.…

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UNFPA, WFP MoU Seeks to Integrate Food Security and Health Services

Michael Gwarisa

By Michale Gwarisa  In a landmark move that marks a deepening of collaboration between two major United Nations agencies, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the integration of critical health and protection services into food assistance programmes across Zimbabwe. The new MoU aims to enhance the reach and impact of both organisations by delivering sexual and reproductive health services, family planning, and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention support at WFP food distribution points. The integrated…

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#BREAKING: UN Appeals For US$429 Million To Rescue Starving Zimbabweans

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa An estimated 7.6 million Zimbabweans are facing acute hunger and in need of food aid, the United Nations Zimbabwe office has warned. More than half of the harvest has been destroyed because of a historic drought induced by the 2023-2024 warming El Niño episode and the United Nations officials have since called for international support to help Zimbabwe address the humanitarian impacts of El Niño. The UN in Zimbabwe has since called for financial assistance amounting to US$429 Million to assist at least 3.1 million people this…

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Zim activates contigency plan for climate hazards

Kuda Pembere

The Zimbabwean Government last week set in motion its National Contigency Plan to help it counter climate hazards before reaching peak levels to prevent the loss of life and people’s livelihoods. By Kudakwashe Pembere Responding to questions from legislators last week, Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare Minister, Cde July Moyo, said the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) activated a contingency plan to tackle harsh weather impacts on people. We have a contingency plan, which is drawn and led by the Civil Protection Unit in the Ministry of Local Government. Every…

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USAID Extends US$2 Million To WFP To Address Urban Food Insecurity

Healthtimes

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has received a US$2 million contribution from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to support more than 2,000 vulnerable families in three urban areas over the next year. By Staff Reporter Under the initiative, WFP and partners will create community assets and develop vulnerable families’ skills to boost livelihood opportunities. Communities will benefit from communal assets such as greenhouses and income-generation activities.  As part of the activities, WFP will provide internal savings and lending (ISAL) training to boost financial literacy among…

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Delivering as one in the face of COVID-19

Healthtimes

Amid the COVID 19 pandemic World Food Programme food distribution points have provided a one stop shop for millions of Zimbabwe. It has become a platform for knowledge exchange as well as a go to place for family planning commodities. WFP is the largest humanitarian organization in the UN system, with the deepest field presence in the most difficult settings. WFP’s vast footprint across Zimbabwe provides the opportunity for partners across the humanitarian and health sector to use its food distributions as a one-stop-shop for providing essential information and services.…

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Gvt, Partners Readies Humanitarian Assistance For Tongogara Refugee Camp, As Mozambique Conflict Rages

Michael Gwarisa

THE Ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare working together with various partners including the World Food Program (WFP) says they are ready to increase food and humanitarian assistance at Tongogara refugee camp should the demand for assistance increase at the back of conflict in neighboring Mozambique. By Michael Gwarisa Tongogara refugee camp currently houses not less than 15 000 refugees from various countries and should the conflict in Mozambique persist, there are fears it could lead to an influx of refugees coming to seek protection at Tongogara camp. Speaking…

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Pfumvudza, A Tried And Tested Method Of Boosting Household Nutrition And Food Security Says Gvt & FAO

Michael Gwarisa

THE newly nationally adopted climate smart agriculture, Conservation Agriculture (CA) model or Pfumvunza which is being championed by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Settlement is a trusted and proven method of increasing household food security and nutrition, top agricultural experts have said. By Michael Gwarisa Conservation Agriculture was piloted by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and other partners in various districts in Zimbabwe in 2009 and since then, at least 300 000 Zimbabwean small holder farmers who practiced this method have tripled their production. The method…

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UNFPA & World Food Programme, partners working together to bring sexual and reproductive health services closer to communities at food distribution points

Healthtimes

CHARITY Fabeni (35) is one of the beneficiaries of the World Food Programme food distribution exercise in Kamutanho village in Mutare district, about 400 kilometres outside Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. On a monthly basis she makes the 2 kilometre trip to the food distribution point at Kamutanho school to receive her ration. On one of her monthly visits and much to her delight, Fabeni learnt she could now collect condoms at the food distribution point. SOURCE: UNFPA COMMUNICATION DESK My husband and I had to use condoms to prevent pregnancy for…

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U.S. Contributes $60.55 Million To WFP To Assist Zim During Lean Season.

Michael Gwarisa

[dropcap] THE[/dropcap] United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will provide $60.55 million toward the World Food Programme’s (WFP) 2020/21 Lean Season Food Assistance program in Zimbabwe. HealthTimes Reporter The lean season assistance will begin in August and will feed nearly one million people during the peak of the season, from January to April 2021. Zimbabwe faces one of its worst food security crises in a decade due to the combined effects of failed economic and agricultural policies, corruption, consecutive poor agricultural seasons, the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, and now,…

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