By Staff Reporter
The World Food Programme (WFP) has drastically reduced its food assistance in Zimbabwe due to severe funding shortfalls, leaving hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people without support as the country enters its peak hunger season.
This reduction coincides with a period of heightened vulnerability, compounded by the previous suspension of aid from USAID, which had historically provided significant financial support to WFP’s programs in Zimbabwe.
A WFP report reveals that approximately half a million food-insecure individuals in rural areas will not receive aid due to the lack of available resources.
“With available resources, WFP aims to reach nearly 1 million individuals, representing roughly 67 percent of the initially planned 1.5 million in rural areas. To expand coverage, WFP is providing logistical support for the distribution of government grain.
“As food insecurity intensifies during the approaching peak hunger season (January to March), other critical interventions remain severely underfunded,” the report stated.
The urban cash-based transfer program has been significantly curtailed, now supporting only 11,000 people in Chiredzi through February 2025, down from 62,000 people across five areas. This cut leaves approximately 51,000 individuals without crucial assistance.
“The urban cash-based transfer program has been reduced from assisting 62,000 individuals across five domains to just 11,000 people in Chiredzi through February 2025, leaving approximately 51,000 people without support.
“Furthermore, resilience initiatives such as Urban Resilience and FFA remain underfunded, with WFP needing USD 72.6 million to fully implement these activities over the next six months,” the report added.
Zimbabwe has been facing an El Niño-induced drought since 2023, and with crop yields yet to materialize, the country remains in a precarious situation.
