Zimbabwe declares national ‘State of Disaster’ on food security
By Delicious Mathuthu
Zimbabwe has officially declared a national ‘State of Disaster’ following the El Nino-induced drought in the 2023/2024 summer cropping season which affected the southern African region and has left many Zimbabweans in need of food aid.
Zimbabwe President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, on Tuesday 2 April 2024, made the declaration appealing for assistance from well wishers and the donor community to avert the lingering food security threat facing millions of Zimbabweans.
“Dear Zimbabweans; The foregoing situation of the climate change induced drought requires measures and interventions as provided for in our laws.
“To that end, I do hereby declare a nationwide State of Disaster, due to the El Niño-induced Drought,” he said.
“Accordingly. I now invoke Section 27, Subsection 1 of the Civil Protection Act (Chapter 10:06), which provides that:
‘If at any time it appears to the President that any disaster of such a nature and extent that extraordinary measures are necessary to assist and protect the persons aftected or likely to be affected by the disaster in any area of the country, the President may, in such a manner as he considers fit, declare that, with effect from a date specified by him, a state of disaster exists within an area or areas specified by him in the declaration’.”
President Mnangagwa revealed that the country currently needs to source about 680 000 metric tonnes of grain for the nation to be food secure with about US$2 billion needed to facilitate the various necessary interventions.
He said besides the low rainfall, the crop situation was worsened by the outbreak of the Fall Army Worm.
“The current agricultural season of 2023 to 2024 has not performed according to expectations due to the El Niño-induced drought.
“As a result, more than 80 percent of our country received below normal rainfall. The country had put a total of 1 728 897 hectares under maize crop and other cereals.
“Ordinarily, this would have guaranteed a bountiful harvest. Further worsening the situation characterised by poor rainfall was the outbreak of Fall Army Worm across the country,” President Mnangagwa said.
Food insecurity levels from the 2023 Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee
Report have been raised beyond the initially projected
2.7 million people in need of food aid, he said,
President Mnangagwa said the current strategic grain reserve holds just over 189 000 metric tonnes of cereals of which about 145 600 is maize and just over 43 900 being traditional grains.
An additional 138 900 metric tonnes of surplus wheat from the 2023 winter wheat season have been allocated towards the strategic grain reserve, giving a combined total of about 356 000 metric tonnes of cereals.
Zimbabwe expects approximately 868 000 metric tonnes from the current drought stricken cropping season leaving the 680 000 tonnes of grain deficit which will be covered by imports.
President Mnangagwa assured Zimbabweans that no one would suffer or die from hunger.
With the State of National Disaster declaration, Zimbabwe now needs the assistance from international partners, civil society organisations, the donor community, diaspora Zimbabweans and all stakeholders to donate towards averting the lingering food security threat in the country.
“By this Declaration, I also call upon all Zimbabweans of goodwill, including those in the diaspora; the international community, United Nations Agencies, Development and Humanitarian Partners, International Financial Institutions; the private sector, churches and other faith-based organisations, as well as individuals to generously donate towards ameliorating this State of National Disaster,” President Mnangagwa said.
He said his administration is not sitting idle but taking measures to try and boost grain reserves before the next summer cropping season, which include securing all available grain in the country through
competitive prices and swift payments to farmers, prioritising 2024 winter wheat production and try to partly shift to
wheat-based food security.
Reactivation of winter maize irrigation projects, continuation of agriculture mechanisation and modernisation programme through the ongoing Rural Development Agenda, among others, are some of the measures being taken.
