Highlights
WFP’s 2016-17 El Niño Response Plan urgently requires USD 199 million to deliver timely relief and resilience-building support at scale to the most vulnerable people affected by drought.
Through April distributions, WFP provided food and nutrition assistance to 494,970 people under its refugee, lean season and health and nutrition programmes.
WFP completed the initial phase of a district profiling exercise in 10 districts, to inform targeting based on vulnerabilities at ward level.
Operational Updates
With available resources, WFP provided lean season assistance to 479,220 people in 13 districts through its April distribution cycle. WFP plans to scale up assistance as of July to address expected spike in food insecurity following harvest period.
Taking into account the marginal improvements in the water and crop situation following increased rainfall in March-April, WFP anticipates slightly reduced food insecurity for May-June 2016, affecting 1.5 million people in 29 priority districts.
WFP, with the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee, is finalizing district profiling exercises in 10 districts, which will inform targeting based on vulnerabilities at ward-level. WFP has also launched a beneficiary hotline to ensure accountability to recipients of lean season assistance.
PAC is planned to start in May 2016, following preparatory work with partners in assessing the feasibility of planned projects. Available resources from USAID allow WFP to commence activities for some 51,000 people out of a planned 150,000.
In April, the prevention of stunting project provided nutritional supplements to 5,599 children aged between 6-23 months in Mutasa District. The moderate acute malnutrition treatment programme assisted 2,500 adults and children through clinics in Mutasa district, Harare, and Bulawayo Metropolitan Province.
WFP assisted 7,655 refugees through its April distribution cycle, providing cash-based assistance to 7,100 people and in-kind assistance to the remaining population comprised of chronically ill refugees and some 250 new arrivals. More than USD 78,000 in cash was provided.