The United Nations team led by the Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe Bishow Parajuli visited Masvingo and Chiredzi districts to assess and scale up drought assistance programs for the Elnino ravaged province.
Addressing journalists in Masvingo at the end of the field visit, Parajuli said, “The UN team observed humanitarian and development projects in Masvingo and Chiredzi districts where communities are supported with resilience building to cope with the prevailing drought through food distribution, nutrition, agriculture, with community asset building, livelihoods, health, water and other social services playing critical role in lifesaving and sustaining livelihoods.”
While noting with serious concern, the lack of critical medical supply which stands at 50% at Masvingo provincial hospital due to the current economic challenges, Parajuli said, “the ongoing concerted drought relief, resilience and community asset building efforts by Government, UN, Development Partners, NGOs and communities have shown the way on the need to link humanitarian response and development programmes. There is need to scale up these interventions to ensure communities bounce back better and stronger in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
Speaking on the successful rehabilitation of Stanmore irrigation scheme in Masvingo District, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative Alain Onibon said, “the irrigation scheme is testimony that communities can turn around a drought prone area into an oasis and profitable irrigation venture, harvesting cash-crops and staple crops (maize and sorghum) throughout the year, as such there is need to scale up climate smart agriculture and irrigation schemes to address the recurrent drought and effects of climate change.”
World Food Programme’s Eddie Rowe hailed the community asset building programme which he said had demonstrated that communities can break the vicious cycle of recurrent droughts.
“The community asset building programme is running parallel to ongoing extended lean season targeted food assistance which was reaching some 52,000 people affected by drought in Chiredzi district,” said Rowe.
Paying gratitude to the donors for strong cooperation with the UN System, Parajuli further appealed to friends of Zimbabwe for their continued support at this crucial juncture as the country moves towards economic and democratic reform.
