With COVID-19 aggravating an already severe hunger crisis in Zimbabwe, the United Nations World Food Programme has appealed for an additional US$250 million to support a rapidly expanding emergency operation for millions at-risk.
WFP projections indicate that by year’s end, the number of food-insecure Zimbabweans will have surged by almost 50% to touch 8.6 million – a staggering 60% of the population – owing to the combined effects of drought, economic recession, and the pandemic.
A nationwide lockdown, reinforced last week, has precipitated massive joblessness in urban areas, while rural hunger is accelerating because now unemployed migrants are returning to their villages and the absence of the vital remittances they provided is more keenly felt. Lola Castro, who is WFP’s Regional Director for Southern Africa comments.
