UN vows to support Zim after declaring drought sta...

UN vows to support Zim after declaring drought state of emergency

Oscar J Jeke

Following the declaration by President Emmerson Mnangagwa of a State of National Disaster owing to the El Niño-induced drought, the United Nations has pledged to support Zimbabwe, citing that plans are already in progress to finalise a relief response plan targeted at food security and health among other essential services that come with the crisis.

In his address, President Mnangagwa said that the expected harvest for this drought season falls below the national consumption of grain cereal figures by at least 680 000 metric tonnes, thus a substantial amount of US$2 billion is needed to alleviate the food insecurity disaster.

The President called upon international humanitarian organisations and other individuals to work with government in a bid to save the nation from starvation.

In response to the call by the President, the UN had pledged to support Zimbabwe by availing other aid packages and resource mobilisation.

In a statement, the UN said it recognises the severe impact of the drought on the people of Zimbabwe, adding that it will support resource mobilisation and sourcing out funds for the same cause.

“In response to the Declaration of State of Disaster due to the El Niño-induced drought by His Excellency President ED Mnangagwa on Wednesday 3 April, 2024, the UN acknowledges the severe impact of the ongoing dry spell in Zimbabwe and the Southern Africa region.

“The UN pledges its support to the government of Zimbabwe in mobilising resources to tackle the El Niño-induced drought and efforts are underway to finalise a response plan focusing on food security, health, education, shelter and other essential areas to address the needs of those affected by the crisis,” reads the statement.

The humanitarian organisation also encouraged government to prioritise enhancing resilience-building and climate adaptation efforts to mitigate the effects of ever-changing climate.