By Staff Reporter
As the impact of the EL Nino induced drought hit hard on food security in the country, over half a million children are reportedly living in severe food poverty , this is according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Zimbabwe which is projecting the situation to likely get worse as the year progresses.
In its communique to the media, UNICEF said what and how children are fed in early childhood determines their survival and shapes their growth, development and learning for the rest of their lives. But hundreds of thousands of Zimbabwean children – especially the youngest aged between six months and two years, the poorest and the most marginalized – do not have access to the minimum nutritious foods they need during the time in their lives when good nutrition matters most for their growth and development.
The food insecurity in the country is worsened by the fact that the drought is coming hard on the heels of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic multiple health outbreaks, including cholera, the impacts of the climate crisis, and rising food prices
“Food insecurity among Zimbabwean children could further deteriorate in 2024 with the El Nino induced drought that has caused above-average temperatures and below average rainfall, with a ‘historic’ mid-season dry spell over the 2023/2024 agricultural season,” said Dr Nicholas Alipui, UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe, “It is urgent to address child food poverty today to avoid more children being pushed into a life-threatening status of severe malnutrition.”
According to the UNICEF report, less than one in ten children consume a daily diet containing five or more food groups, with the frequency required to ensure optimal growth and development in Zimbabwe.
In-line with Zimbabwe’s Nutrition Narrative, the Government of Zimbabwe with UNICEF and other partners, is implementing activities, under the Multi-Sectoral Food and Nutrition Security Strategy, to improve children’s diet diversity and prevent all forms of malnutrition. These activities focus on making nutrient-dense foods more available and accessible at household level through a network of community-based support programmes to caregivers known as Care Groups, with links to relevant services in health, water, sanitation and hygiene, social protection, and agriculture.
“To scale up community-based nutrition activities, additional support is needed from Government, development and humanitarian partners, national and international civil society and non-governmental organizations, and the private sector,” said Dr Alipui.