Government and the World Food Program on Monday unveiled District profiles aimed at identifying root causes of hunger and food insecurity in the country.
According to WFP Country Director, the District profiles’ key focus areas include infrastructure development, water and sanitation, poverty, communications, climate, crops, livestock, markets, development indicators, food security conditions and recommendations and will be used to create evidence based information to help government and its development partners fully understand challenges hindering food security and nutrition.
“The District Profiles, a government-owned document, build the baseline to guide all stakeholders in working to achieve the food and nutrition goals set out in the ZimASSET, the Zimbabwe UN Development Assistance Framework, or ZUNDAF, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to achieve a Zimbabwe with Zero Hunger,” said WFP Country Director, Eddie Rowe.
He added that the Districts Profiles will complement the World Food Programme’s five-year national Country Strategic Plan (2017-2021) which supports the government’s efforts to achieve this long-term objective by prioritizing Sustainable Development Goal 2, through activities aimed at addressing the root causes of hunger and food insecurity, and SDG 17, strengthening partnerships for achievement of these goals.
“We are also aware that perhaps the single most important way to achieve our plans is through good planning and systematic monitoring and evaluation to ensure the efficiency of our activities. Only evidence-based information that empowers Government and partners with credible information will effectively drive development planning.
“Objective and well-grounded analysis contributes to increased consensus, multi-sectoral and integrated implementation of programmes and accountability; so too does increased community ownership of programmes and awareness of the efforts needed to achieve our strategic goals,” noted Rowe.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare, Ngoni Masoka said through the program, government commits to provide social protection services to vulnerable groups and enhance child protection to some groups.
Deputy Chief Secretary Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Ambassador Boniface Chidyausiku added that drought had destroyed the livelihoods of rural people and the Districts Profile is a welcome relief as it will allow assessment of damages and help needed.
