BULAWAYO The government has joined Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to re-launch food-for-work programmes, days after a United Nations (UN) agency urged Harare to start food relief efforts to avert starvation due to massive crop failure, a Cabinet minister said.
A joint government and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) crop assessment report released recently urged government to resume food supplies to areas facing poor harvests because of erratic rains. Crops in most parts of the country, especially in Matabeleland South, Midlands and Manicaland were a complete write-off following a prolonged dry spell between November and January, leaving villagers staring starvation.
The government has since partnered with the NGOs operating in the country to provide food to areas that had massive crop failure on a food-for-work basis, said Agriculture Mechanisation Minister Joseph Made. The NGOs are working with the local government authorities to ensure the smooth flow of the programme.
Made said the Finance Ministry had also released US$3.5 million to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) to allow it to buy grain as well as set up the 500 000-metric-tonne strategic grain reserve to mitigate any food deficits.
Post published in: News