HARARE Zimbabweans needing food aid face another lean period until the next harvest as it emerged this week that the World Food Programme (WFP) is 45 per cent under-resourced and may again fail to meet demand for humanitarian assistance. (Pictured: The World Food Programme hand outs in Matabeleland.)The total WFP food requirement from September until the end of the operation in April 2010 is approximately 175 300 metric tonnes for all commodities. At present donor pledges reflect a shortfall of more than 83 000 metric tonnes, which means WFP is 45 per cent under-resourced for the remainder of the operation. To address shortfalls, WFP has started reducing rations for some caseloads under the SN (Safety Net) activities and if no further funds are received, the option may be to reduce rations and scale down activities for all the programmes, the UN warned this week.
This will have serious implications on the health and diet of beneficiaries under antiretroviral therapy and home-based care programmes who rely on the safety net scheme. WFP is preparing s for medium to worst case scenarios, the UN further warned.
Regional grain purchases
As a result of poor funding support, the WFP has now resorted to regional grain purchases as a precautionary measure to reduce delays in getting the food to hungry people. Regional purchases will enable WFP to reduce the lead time from when a contribution is confirmed to the food arriving in the country to two months, as opposed to up to five months previously.
This will enable the agency to take advantage of the prevailing low regional commodity prices. However, in order to achieve this, it is imperative that funds are mobilized immediately for the food to arrive within two months, to coincide with the lean food period between January and the next harvest around March.
This is the second time in as many years that the WFP has had to reduce food rations in response to dwindling donations to Zimbabwe. In November last year, the UN agency reduced rations allocated to needy cases in order to maximize the number of people who could be helped. The quantity of cereals for each person was reduced to 10 kg from 12 kg and pulses were reduced to 1 kg from 1.8 kg.
Approximately 800 000 Zimbabweans received food aid in September this year, with the number expected to double between January and March next year.
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