By Staff Writer
THE World Food Program (WFP) has hailed Zimbabwe for pursuing reliable and dependable social and humanitarian assistance programs to uplift communities.
The WFP Representative and Country Director in Zimbabwe, Francesca Erdelmann made the remarks at the occasion to forge a Signature of Letter of Understanding between the Republic of Zimbabwe and the United Nations WFP Tuesday.
She said the global organ has made tremendous progress working hand in glove with Harare for years now.
“The roadmap that Government and WFP are formalizing today will contribute to sustainable solutions for food and nutrition security and to assist vulnerable people to pursue their life and livelihood aspirations.
“Zimbabwe is making great strides to establish and consolidate reliable and dependable social and humanitarian assistance programs,” she said.
She took a swipe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade for the support and facilitation in all WFP’s work in Zimbabwe.
Eldermann said the United Nations World Food Programme’s (WFP) Country Strategic Plan for Zimbabwe is grounded in the National Development Strategy 1 and global commitments to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its associated Sustainable Development Goals.
She said working partnership with the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare the duo forged national systems, tools and guidelines for the delivery of food and cash assistance to vulnerable rural, urban and refugee populations.
The WFP chief said Collaboration with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs Community Small and Medium Enterprise Development has enabled formal registration of businesses that are emerging from these investments.
Another flagship partnership with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, in particular the Directorate of Agricultural Advisory Services has taken rural resilience efforts to scale by removing barriers to profitable agricultural entrepreneurship, including through climate smart and nutrition sensitive farming techniques, connecting farmers to markets, and strengthening their business skills and financial literacy.
“WFP’s new Country Strategic Plan represents our contribution to the achievement of the NDS1 and our commitment to harness the energies of Zimbabweans to pursue their dreams and aspirations.
“Together, in the spirit of SDG17 ‘partnering for the SDGs’, we can realize an equitable and sustainable future for our food systems to ensure that every person in Zimbabwe has access to and consumes sufficient, diverse and nutritious food at all times,” added Eldermann.
