Red Cross To Inject More Cash And Food For Zimbabweans As Drought Intensifies: What You Should Know

The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) will distribute more cash and food to Zimbabweans to protect them from drought effects.

Zimbabwe is grappling with a severe drought, exacerbated by the El Niño weather pattern. This drought has devastated the country’s agriculture, food security, and overall economy.

Starvation Now Biting?

The lack of rainfall has led to crop failures, particularly of staple crops like maize, and has decimated livestock. This has resulted in a significant food shortage, affecting millions of people, especially in rural areas. Many Zimbabweans are facing food insecurity, malnutrition, and hunger.

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The government and humanitarian organisations are working to provide aid to those affected by the drought, including food assistance. However, the scale of the crisis is immense, and more support is needed to address the long-term impacts of this natural disaster. President Emmerson Mnangagwa extended a begging bowl for US$3 billion in April to avert starvation.

Red Cross To Inject More Cash And Food For Zimbabweans As Drought Intensifies

As part of measures to assist the government, the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) is launching more trigger activities to follow its Early Action Protocol (EAP) for drought.

Red Cross will be handing out cash vouchers and supplementing school feeding for children as part of its activities.

The organisation said in a statement:

“The greenlight for the implementation of these activities was received from IFRC [International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies] in June 2024 after an initial go-ahead that had been issued in May was stopped as clarification over some issues was sought. Procurement delays within the ZRCS have resulted in a delay in the implementation of some of the activities as well.

“The EAP is targeting 500 households with cash intervention over three months. However, after analysis, it was noted that 3,319HH are eligible as vulnerable HH for cash. Corn soya blend, supplementary pots and cleaning utensils are being procured and will be distributed to the schools during the school holidays (in August) to ensure that before opening, everything will be ready for the activity to start.”

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