THE Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) has reached out to at least 4 000 homesteads in Binga as the El Niño-induced drought takes its toll on families in the marginalised district.
The project, which is a response to the El Niño-induced drought, is being supported by the Danish Red Cross, Finnish Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) under the Early Action Protocol (EAP) component.
A staggering four million Zimbabweans are food insecure, according to the World Food Programme.
“The project’s goal is to mitigate drought-induced food insecurity through implementation of early actions targeting 4 000 households in five wards in Binga district,” said ZRCS secretary-general Elias Hwenga.
“The project is responding to the El Niño-induced drought. The drought has been a serious threat to agriculture-based livelihoods in Zimbabwe.”
Villagers have welcomed the food aid, which they say will go a long way in mitigating hunger.
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“The Red Cross came to our rescue at a time when we had nothing to eat. We used to have one meal a day, but now we eat three meals,” said Maria Zilundu, a beneficiary.
Zilundu, a widow, looks after six family members, including her 83-year-old mother.
Chibamba 2 village head Gowani Ncube confirmed that hunger was afflicting his community.
“We didn’t receive enough rain and drought has taken its toll in our communities. Some families are sleeping without eating any food,” he said.
“We are happy that the Red Cross has chipped in with food aid at a time when most families have no food. We hope the programme will be extended.”
The EAP project has several interventions such as distribution of drought tolerant seeds to 2 000 farmers and training of farmers on climate smart agricultural techniques, support deworming or dosing and dipping of cattle and food distributions targeting five wards.
The El Niño-induced drought has caused crop loss and livestock deaths, driving the Binga community into food insecurity.