USAID and WFP Joins Hands To Mitigate Food Insecurity

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced a contribution of US$11.27 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) in Zimbabwe, ensuring that approximately 230,000 of the most vulnerable people will be food secure.


Mwenezi, Mangwe, Chivi, and Buhera districts will receive critical food assistance during the January to March 2024 lean season.

In her remarks, the USAID Mission Director Janean Davis said her organisation was committed to mitigating the effects of the El Nino induced drought in the country.

“USAID is committed to continue to strengthen community resilience and accelerate sustainable development, which empowers Zimbabweans to better cope with the stressors such as the drought caused by the El Niño climate pattern,”she said

USAID’s latest contribution to WFP’s food and resilience activities in Zimbabwe brings the total funding from the United States to over US$24.3 million in 2023

According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) report, 26 percent of the rural population will not have enough cereal for consumption and need over 100,000 metric tonnes of maize grain during the peak period.

In addition, the predicted El Niño weather phenomenon during the 2023 to 2024 rainfall season indicates below-normal rainfall and high temperatures, which could lead to low production and further increase food insecurity.

The funding from USAID will enable WFP to complement the Government-led Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy Programme, which will assist 2.7 million people in all districts across Zimbabwe to help mitigate household food stock depletion, minimize negative coping mechanisms preventing the most vulnerable people from falling deeper into food insecurity.



USAID’s latest contribution to WFP’s food and resilience activities in Zimbabwe brings the total funding from the United States to over US$24.3 million in 2023.