Zimbabwe: Acute Food Insecurity Situation October - December 2020 and Projection for January - March 2021
Food insecurity driven by poor harvests, reduced income & high food prices partially mitigated by increased humanitarian food assistance.
RELEASE DATE
26.11.2020
VALIDITY PERIOD
01.10.2020 > 30.03.2021

Key
results


Recommendations
& next steps


Acute
Malnutrition


Overview:

Currently, 2.61 million people (27% of the analysed population) in rural Zimbabwe are facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), while nearly 2.9 million people (29%) are in Stressed (IPC Phase 2). The food insecurity is primarily due to shocks and hazards experienced in the country such as drought, reduced livelihood opportunities due to restrictions linked to COVID-19, pests and diseases, and high food prices. In the absence of large-scale humanitarian food assistance programmes currently ongoing in the country, more households would likely be in a worse-off food security situation. The Government and development partners are reaching large numbers of food insecure households (4.1 million beneficiaries in the current period and 6.7 million beneficiaries in the projected period). There is a genuine need for these efforts to continue to reach the most vulnerable households and to provide them with food, cash and livelihood assistance. During the period from January – March 2021, which is the peak of the lean season, it is estimated that 35% of the rural population (3.38 million people) will be facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above). That is an increase of eight percentage points compared to the 27% of the current analysis period.

Key Drivers:

  • Poor rains. Poor rainfall was experienced in most districts of Zimbabwe, resulting in poor crop harvests.
  • Low production. Poor harvests have resulted in low household food stocks, exacerbated by two previous consecutive poor agricultural seasons.
  • High food prices. There have been sharp increases in commodity prices in all areas of Zimbabwe.
  • COVID-19 restrictions resulted in household income reductions of more than 50%.


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