Highlights
The Government of Zimbabwe declared a State of Disaster on 4 Feb in light of El Niño induced drought.
Preliminary results of a Rapid Assessment estimates increased rural food insecurity from 16 to 30 percent. WFP plans to scale up to meet the greater needs.
WFP reached 431,916 people with assistance through January distributions. US$6.1 million is urgently required for assistance through March.
Following the revised Rapid Assessment results WFP is currently preparing a response plan.
Situation Update
Following the release of preliminary results of an interagency rapid assessment led by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC), indicating some 2.8 million people facing food insecurity, the Government of Zimbabwe declared a State of Disaster on 4 February in response to the effects of El Niño-induced drought on the 2015/16 rainfall season, and subsequently released an official appeal for humanitarian assistance amounting to US$1.5 billion for all sectors until Dec 2016.
The new projected food insecurity figure, approximates that at least 1 in every 3 people in the rural areas will be food insecure by March 2016, reflecting a 1.3 million people increase from the initial estimates of 1.5 million - based on the 2015 ZimVAC Rural Livelihoods Assessment released in May 2015.
Areas in the northern parts of Manicaland, Mashonaland East, and Mashonaland West, as well as substantial areas in Matabeleland North, Midlands, Masvingo, and Mashonaland Central have all received less than 50 percent of normal rainfall for this period.
Cumulative livestock deaths as a result of the drought are currently at 16,681. With decreased income opportunities from grain sales and casual labour, households are seen increasingly resorting to negative coping mechanisms such as sale of productive assets.
Global acute malnutrition levels are close to 7 percent, which represents the highest level recorded in 15 years.