Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing the global economy with developing countries like Zimbabwe being more vulnerable due to their low adaptive capacities and limited climate knowledge. The impacts of climate change are becoming more evident with increased incidences of droughts, cyclones, floods, hailstorms, and heat waves. Experts have predicted that Zimbabwe, among other countries in Southern Africa, is likely to face a low rainfall season which could result in a famine while some parts of Zimbabwe are already in dire need of food aid.
The Hunger Hotspots report by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) identifies 18 hunger “hotspots” in a total of 22 countries where food security is expected to significantly deteriorate between November 2023 to April 2024, and Zimbabwe is among those hunger hotspots.
The WFP states that the food insecurity situation is worst in some parts of Zimbabwe, especially in Matebeleland provinces, and is continuing to deteriorate in this lean season.
In an exclusive interview with DevelopmentAid, WFP country director Francesca Erdelmann provided close insights into the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the organization’s interventions to provide assistance to reduce food insecurities in Zimbabwe and support those affected by hunger.
DevelopmentAid: How does the WFP assess the current humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe?
Francesca Erdelmann: According to the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC), which assesses the nation’s food and nutrition security, 26% of the rural population, that is 2.7 million people, are projected to be cereal insecure during the peak lean season from January to March 2024. This has dropped from 38% in the 2022/2023 season but remains a high number of very vulnerable people. Food insecurity includes frequent exposure to climatic and economic shocks which erode capacities to cope. We also can’t ignore global crises and pandemics which have increased the price of some commodities like fuel, vegetable oil, wheat and fertilizer. Then there is the forecasted El Nino phenomenon which will likely increase the number of food-insecure people if the current erratic rainfall pattern continues. Through the generosity of our donors, WFP is complementing government efforts to help to ensure that no one goes hungry.
DevelopmentAid: How has the WFP contributed over the years to improving the situation in the country? Does WFP aid go mainly to the worst-hit rural population or those living in urban areas too?
Francesca Erdelmann: We’ve worked with partners in Zimbabwe to respond to food and nutrition insecurity for over 20 years. We want every person in Zimbabwe to have access to and consume sufficient, diverse and nutritious food at all times. WFP has provided immediate food assistance and, in some areas, cash to people across Zimbabwe. We have collaborated with communities in chronically food-insecure districts to build their resilience through weir dam construction, nutrition gardening, livestock production and other income-generating activities. Increasingly, we focus on climate-smart food production and value chains, access to markets and enhanced entrepreneurship. In addition to direct assistance to vulnerable communities, we have also contributed to capacity strengthening of national institutions through training, the development of tools, guidance and systems that support program design and implementation, and we contributed to policy development as well as local authorities’ Disaster Risk Management. Our support targets vulnerable communities in rural and urban settings as we strive to achieve zero hunger in Zimbabwe.
DevelopmentAid: What are the most difficult situations that the WFP has faced in providing relief to the affected provinces in Zimbabwe?
Francesca Erdelmann: There are various challenges that affect our work. The need across Zimbabwe for humanitarian aid and resilience-building activities is great, but the resources are limited. With increased funding, we can reach more people, save lives and transform communities in both rural and urban areas. From an operational perspective, accessibility to remote areas, particularly during the rainy season, also provides a challenge when we need to deliver assistance. However, the many years of experience operating in Zimbabwe and around the world help us to find innovative ways of navigating these challenges. One of the major issues we currently face is climate change. The effects of a changing climate, be it droughts or floods, leave communities more vulnerable and in need. We desperately need to strengthen our interventions to protect people from the negative socio-economic effects of these changing weather patterns.
DevelopmentAid: Does the WFP cooperate with the government to step up food security in the country? Do you focus on providing aid or do you also contribute to developing local communities to bolster their food security?
Francesca Erdelmann: Yes, we work very closely with the government. Our work complements what the government is already doing and helps to save and change lives through food insecurity response actions and resilience-building activities. Our Country Strategic Plan aligns with the government’s National Development Strategy, and part of that plan focuses specifically on strengthening national capacity. So, we do work with the government across various ministries and at all levels: national, provincial, district and ward.
DevelopmentAid: According to the WFP HungerMap LIVE, there are some parts of Zimbabwe that need food aid assistance. Moreover, the UN’s OCHA has warned that the country could face an El Nino-induced drought and hence food insecurity. Based on previous experience, what are the WFP’s expectations in this respect and what steps are you set to take to help Zimbabweans cope with this situation?
Francesca Erdelmann: We are indeed facing an El Nino phenomenon which means reduced rainfall in the current season. Seventy percent of agriculture relies on rain-fed water so there is likely to be more food and nutrition insecurity. Crop planting timelines have already been affected and there’s going to be less water for both human and animal consumption and harvest yields could be affected. As WFP, we are complementing the Government’s efforts in supporting communities with preparedness activities by providing drought-tolerant inputs to smallholder farmers, promoting climate-smart agriculture, developing water sources, particularly the drilling of boreholes and equipping them with solar installations and sharing seasonal and weather forecasts with farmers. I must commend the communities we work in for their resilience, and individual and collective commitment to create sustainable livelihoods.
DevelopmentAid: What are some of the interventions that WFP has in place to improve agriculture and food production in Zimbabwe minority groups such as rural women and young people?
Francesca Erdelmann: WFP is deliberate about including all people in our programs. Women and young people are among the most active participants of WFP programs. Over 50% of the people we assist are women. Both groups benefit from agriculture-related training that focuses on natural resource management. They participate in livelihoods and resilience projects that include poultry production, beekeeping, mushroom production and goat breeding. Women also benefit from nutrition gardens and micro-irrigation schemes. More recently, in one of our programs we’ve added a gender and family wellness component that specifically looks at reducing intimate partner violence while improving household food security. Women and girls face increased exposure to gender-based violence where there is food insecurity and so we want our interventions to provide more sustainable solutions and improve lives.
