By Agencies
OVER five million people in Zimbabwe are reeling under severe food shortages following an excruciating drought , the World Food Programme (WFP) July 2024 report has revealed.
The WFP’s HungerMap LIVE monitoring platform placed the number of people facing insufficient food consumption is estimated at 5,3 million during the last week of July 2024.
It stated that the figure could be higher, with 5,9 million rural people facing hunger in addition to the 1,7 million people in urban areas.
The drought has led to poor harvests after the 2023/24 agricultural season.
The Rural Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC) report for the period (July to September 2024) has indicated that 46% of the rural population was estimated to be food insecure.
In its recent survey in the last week of July 2024 looking at food consumption patterns, coping strategies and sources of income expenditures, WFP said the number of people resorting to crisis and above food-based coping strategies was estimated at 8,1 million during the same period.
The organisation further said the food insecurity issue has led to the deterioration of businesses in some of the monitored wards across the country’s provinces.
“Traders in these areas have reported a reduction in business, largely driven by income sources available to community members.
“The monitoring further revealed that livelihood options are severely constrained, with activities such as gardening and brick-laying severely impacted by lack of water.
“As a result, businesses supporting these experienced more than 50% decline in operations compared to previous years,” the WFP said.
