HARARE, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in Zimbabwe on Friday appealed for more funding to provide emergency food aid during the lean season following this year's El Nino-induced drought.
The lean season in Zimbabwe typically starts in October and reaches its peak between January and March. It is a time when communities, particularly in rural areas, do not have enough food to feed themselves.
Due to the severe impact of the drought this year, more than half of Zimbabwe's population is food insecure and in need of emergency food aid. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the drought a state of disaster in April.
Speaking to the media during a WFP food security fair held in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare Friday, Barbara Clemens, WFP Zimbabwe representative and country director, lamented the slow donor response to their aid appeal.
Following the drought, the United Nations (UN) in May launched a 429.3-million-U.S.-dollar drought flash appeal for Zimbabwe, out of which the WFP required 201 million dollars.
"It's been challenging so far. As you know, the WFP was part of the UN flash appeal for the El Nino and so far we have received roughly about a quarter of the funding that we need," she said.
She called for the funding gap to be urgently addressed to ensure timely procurement of food aid.
"We are getting extremely close to a tight procurement window to be able to buy enough food on time to provide life-saving food assistance at the peak of the lean season which starts from December all the way to March," she said while thanking donors that have so far responded to their appeal.
She said that despite limited global resources, Zimbabwe's drought-related humanitarian needs should remain on top of the agenda of international partners and donors.
"We live in a world where there are many hotspots of vulnerability going on and this has affected the income that we can be given as donors are forced to prioritize. Unfortunately, this is what we are experiencing, but we are hopeful," Clemens added.
