Government and the World Food Program on Monday launched a five-year plan to build resilience, end hunger and boost nutrition in the country amid calls for a shift from short-term food assistance to longer-term technical assistance for Zimbabwe as means of building sustainable systems to achieve food security.
The Country Strategic Plan is based on the 2015 Zero Hunger Strategic Review which presents a thorough analysis of the root causes of hunger and gaps in support where, through partnerships.
Addressing the media at the launch, WFP Zimbabwe Representative and Country Director Eddie Rowe said the new plan is an embodiment of WFP’s partnership with the government and they will continue to provide the much needed assistance in mitigating food insecurity and ending hunger in line with Sustainable Development Goal number 2.
“The new plan is an embodiment of our partnership. While maintaining our strong emergency capacity, we will also focus on building the resilience of vulnerable, food-insecure Zimbabweans, and reinforcing national social protection efforts.
“WFP is the first United Nations agency to align its new corporate strategy with the Sustainable Development Goals, showing how it contributes to and supports governments to achieve them.
“We are changing how we plan and implement, and how we measure and report on our impact and achievements so that governments and donors can clearly see how we are contributing to reaching Zero Hunger by 2030,” said Rowe.
While maintaining strong humanitarian assistance capacity, WFP Zimbabwe’s new Country Strategic Plan (2017- 2021) focuses on supporting longer-term national social protection and resilience efforts, strengthening the systems and institutions needed to help achieve Zero Hunger. At the core of the plan are partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders and strong support for national efforts.
Speaking on behalf of the Zimbabwean government, Senior Principal Director in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Ozias Hove said Zimbabwe welcomes WFP’s Country Strategic Plan, which fully reflects the national objectives set forth in the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZIMASSET) program.
“WFP’s work is aligned with the Zimbabwe National Development Plan, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation areas of food and nutrition security, social services and poverty eradication; and the Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework, ZUNDAF,” said Hove.
The review findings highlight the need to move away from short-term food assistance to longer-term technical assistance, building sustainable systems to eradicate hunger and improve nutrition.
“The SDGs require we work together- no single actor can achieve them alone. WFP Zimbabwe’s five-year Strategic Plan is an excellent example of UN agencies working together to achieve Zero Hunger by supporting national food and nutrition security programmes through the 2016-2020 Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework,” said Bishow Parajuli, UN Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe.
In Zimbabwe, WFP will help the government curb hunger t through six strategic outcomes, with closely inter-linked activities to amplify results.
