The Zimbabwean government has announced plans to distribute US$20 cash to vulnerable, food-insecure urban households.
The initiative is in response to the findings of the 2024 Urban Livelihoods Assessment conducted by the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Commission (ZimLAC) which identified 1.7 million people in urban areas in need of drought assistance this year.
Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo told reporters in Bulawayo on Wednesday that vulnerable urban households would receive US$13 or US$20 in local zigzag equivalent, depending on their needs assessment.
The Social Welfare Minister said the 2024 Urban Livelihoods Assessment conducted by the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC) confirmed that 1.7 million people in urban areas require drought assistance this year.
Moyo said his ministry would work with the Bulawayo Metropolitan Regional Affairs and Delegation Office and all government departments.
“We are organizing the selection process so that we can start immediately and help our vulnerable people who need livelihood to support themselves,” Moyo said.
Moyo said the government was confident that the market – such as mills and shops – had enough food for people to buy.
“Last year we allowed food imports by the private sector. They have enough wheat or through contract farming. That’s why we give cash. We deal in multiple currencies and that’s why we price in the US but we will probably give them ZiG money.”
The minister said that if mills and shops run out of goods, the government’s strategic grain reserve, Isivala Senkosi or Zondi Ramambo, has enough food to supplement them.
Moyo added that the government approved a US$2 billion humanitarian appeal for food, prompting the UN system to establish a humanitarian appeal where every UN agency such as the World Food Programme, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and others would intervene.
“When there is a drought everyone is affected, and it is not just food insecurity, there is a water and energy issue – the Kariba Dam levels are low so our energy issues are being looked at. There is gender-based violence, and we need to feed the children at the stage Primary and secondary schools so that they do not suffer from stunting and malnutrition. All of this is present in the appeal submitted by the president and in the urgent appeal.”
Regarding the start date of cash transfers, the minister said that they will soon begin the examination process.
“When the ZIMLAC Rural Initiative came out, we did a rapid screening exercise where each of the over 35,000 village heads held a meeting to screen and find out what the families needed. We are now in a position to provide food to 6.1 million people in rural areas.
Moyo said the government had put in place a planning system where it assessed the quantity of grain available in each Grain Marketing Board warehouse.
“We want to see which warehouse has enough food in the area, and which warehouse can transport food to another warehouse that has less. All this plan requires the mobilization of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) and transport companies – public and private as well as those Wanting to help us so we can transport this food
