The European Union, through the EU’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), has availed €1.5 million (US$1.547m) to CARE International Zimbabwe to strengthen disaster preparedness structures and systems in Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and Matabeleland provinces.
The project will be implemented in collaboration with the government and Caritas Zimbabwe.
One of the main objectives of the project is to help strengthen and standardize Zimbabwe’s Civil Protection (CP) structures to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of disaster preparedness and response.
“In the recent past the Southern African region has been faced with severe weather, such as the El Nino induced drought, localized flash floods, storms and cyclones such as Idai and Eloise. These disasters affect the most vulnerable households in Zimbabwe, particularly women and girls, and many continue to experience loss of crops, livelihoods and shelter, and a reduction of resilience to recover from such severe shocks and stresses,” Patrick Sikana, CARE Zimbabwe Country Director noted.
Sikana stated that the project will go a long way in supporting preparedness systems in the targeted districts prone to disasters through setting up proper and sustainable systems for cash preparedness, stockpiling, access to emergency Non-Food Items (NFIs), improving the safety, security, and management of selected evacuation centres.
“We will achieve these through working closely with the Civil Protection Unit, Meteorological Services Department (MSD) and ZINWA.”
This project will also focus on the roll-out and deployment of inclusive community-led early warning and early action plans and tools in selected districts, especially locations prone to rapid-onset natural disasters, such as flooding and cyclones.
The plans will also harness Indigenous knowledge systems, linking them to meteorological forecasting systems.
“We need to galvanize communities throughout Southern Africa to be more aware and prepared for sudden onset natural disaster”, explains EU Humanitarian expert, Sylvie Montembault. “For every Euro or Dollar invested in Disaster Preparedness, we save seven Dollars or Euros in damages or reconstruction costs, and enable communities to overcome such disasters much quicker. Preparedness also saves lives”
As communities in the country continue to experience previous disaster impacts, CARE Zimbabwe is working with the government across the country to provide life-saving assistance measures to safeguard and drive recovery in rural areas.
