Zimbabwe and the United
Nations unveiled a multi-million-dollar emergency humanitarian proposal in
preparation to help a section of the population which is threatened by famine
and vulnerable to the coronavirus.
The proposal worth $715 million targets around 5.6 million
people, about a third of the national population.
The UN estimates seven million people in the country
need multi-sectoral humanitarian support. About 2.2 million people in Zimbabwe
are food insecure due to increasing urban vulnerability.
The key areas prioritized by the plan include food aid,
water and sanitation, health, education and shelter among other lifesaving and
life-sustaining support to high risk populations. Additionally, the plan will
include the remaining humanitarian support to communities affected by Cyclone
Idai and refugees.
“It is extremely important that the food system keeps on
functioning,” World Food Programme (WFP) regional director Lola Castro said.
Sirak Gebrehiwot, a UN Communications Specialist in
Zimbabwe, said food insecurity remains the major concern with nearly half of
the rural population requiring ongoing aid.
“Today the Covid-19 Pandemic is the latest shock impacting
on the well-being and livelihoods of Zimbabweans,” Gebrehiwot said.
The coronavirus is the latest shock to hit the southern
African nation. Zimbabwe is in the middle of its worst economic crisis in a
decade and is further weighed down by a collapsing public health sector. Given
the current state of Zimbabwe’s the impact of the pandemic could be catastrophic.
Zimbabwe has so far registered eight cases of the deadly
virus with one fatality, a 30-year-old man who had traveled abroad and had a
pre-existing condition.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a 21-day “total”
lockdown from Monday, curtailing movement, shutting most shops and suspending
flights in and out of the impoverished southern African country. - Africa
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