UN, USAID raise $70m to alleviate food shortages

THE United Nations (UN) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) yesterday said they had so far mobilised $70 million out of the anticipated $360 million to alleviate food shortages in Zimbabwe where at least 2,8 million people require urgent aid.

Source: UN, USAID raise $70m to alleviate food shortages – NewsDay Zimbabwe May 10, 2016

BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA

Speaking to NewsDay on the sidelines of a joint update by the UN and USAID yesterday in Harare, UN resident co-ordinator and United Nations Development Programme resident representative Bishow Parajuli said: “We have developed a response plan that needs $360 million life-saving humanitarian need from April this year to March 2017 in the form of food, agriculture, water, sanitation, education, health, nutrition and protection issues. So far for this year we have mobilised about $70 million out of the $360 million because we are just one month into the programme.”

This came after government declared this year’s agricultural season a national disaster on February 3 following a joint quick crop and livestock assessment.

USAID country director Stephanie Funk said the reason behind the partnership was the fact that three out of the past five years had shown massive crop failure in the country creating the food insecurity. The World Food Programme and government were also providing assistance with the latter supplying 30 000 metric tonnes of maize.