THE ZIMBABWE Red Cross Society (ZRCS) has responded to the food insecurity prevailing in the southern parts of the country by launching a cash transfer programme targeting over 2 000 households in Gwanda in partnership with its sister organisations across the world.
PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI SENIOR REPORTER
ZRCS public relations officer Takemore Mazuruse our told sister paper NewsDay yesterday that their sister societies in Finland, Britain, Denmark, Switzerland, Canada, the Netherlands and Monaco had responded well to ZRCS’s CHF 805 000 Emergency Appeal. Mazuruse said the response, done through ZRCS’s Food Security and Livelihoods Programme, would benefit 10 500 individuals in 2 100 households.
“We have launched a $50 per beneficiary household cash transfer programme in Gwanda as a way of mitigating the challenges,” he said.
“The $50 will be paid monthly during the entire period of food challenges.”
Mazuruse said ZRCS’s sister organisations started responding both in pledges and in cash following the official launch of the programme in December last year. According to Fewsnet’s food security outlook for Zimbabwe for the period October 2013 to March 2014, in food deficit areas is likely to increase, particularly in the southern and western parts of the country.
“Current shortfalls for the Seasonal Targeted Assistance programme are likely to continue throughout the outlook period and will likely result in very poor households experiencing food and livelihood protection deficits,” the report read in part.
Fewsnet further noted that access to food during the first quarter of 2014 would only be possible through assistance to poor households.
