Zimbabwe's humanitarian landscape remains deeply complex, the result of a toxic blend of economic instability and an El Niño-driven drought, leading to a surge in malnutrition cases, according to a recent United Nations report.
The country is grappling with the devastating impacts of climate change, with over 5 million citizens now in urgent need of food assistance. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared the drought a national emergency and appealed for $3 billion in humanitarian aid.
The United Nations has issued a $429.3 million flash appeal, targeting an estimated 3.1 million people, to complement the government's efforts.
In its latest humanitarian update, UNICEF noted that the drought crisis is exacerbating ongoing public health crises, including outbreaks of polio and cholera. "Zimbabwe's humanitarian context remains complex; with a combination of overlapping factors such as the impacts of the climate driven El Niño-induced drought, economic instability and ongoing public health emergencies," the report stated.
As reported by Newsday, the agency warned that the El Niño-induced drought emergency is expected to worsen later in 2024, leading to a further increase in cases of moderate and severe acute malnutrition. Household food insecurity has risen from 29% to 35%, while child wasting has increased from 3% to 5.6% between 2023 and 2024.
As of May 2024, nearly 1 million children aged 6-59 months were screened for wasting, with over 4,700 found to be malnourished and receiving treatment. UNICEF's school feeding program has also reached over 36,700 children during the first term of the school year.
Additionally, 13,402 families were provided with emergency social cash transfers, improving their food security and strengthening their resilience against negative coping strategies.
