Highlights
A total of 1,478 children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) were admitted in the four emergency affected districts between December 2015 and April 2016, where active nutrition screening is taking place.
From December 2015 to April 2016, UNICEF and partners supported 13,568 children with child protection services. UNICEF is planning to conduct a child protection in emergencies training for government, NGO’s and front-line social workers to enhance their capacity to prevent and respond to child protection risks in drought affected districts.
Based on weekly epidemiological data, there is continued significant decline in new typhoid cases. To date, 1, 365 typhoid cases have been reported in the country, out of which 74 have been laboratory confirmed, with 5 typhoid related deaths reported. UNICEF is continuing its response to the typhoid outbreak with the provision of Health and WASH services.
UNICEF’s HAC is currently 97% unfunded, without urgent funding, UNICEF will not be able to scale up lifesaving interventions to meet the needs of children and women in the most affected areas in Zimbabwe.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The El Niño weather phenomenon’s negative impacts continue to affect vulnerable women and children in Zimbabwe, with the situation expected to worsen in the coming months. FEWSNET forecasts that Zimbabwe’s food insecure population will peak at 5.1 million people, a projection that represents an increase of approximately 2.3 million since the February estimates by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZIMVAC). Information from the Rural WASH Information Management System (RWIMS), shows that over 23% of boreholes in Manicaland, Mashonaland East, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands provinces are of a seasonal nature, with a functionality that ranged between 51% and 57% in May as shown in Figure 1 below.
Weekly surveillance of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) cases through the national weekly disease surveillance system has consistently picked Matebeleland North, Manicaland, Masvingo and Midlands provinces as reporting increasing SAM cases. Three of the four nutrition emergency districts are from Matebeleland North and the other district is in Manicaland province. The child protection sub-sector commissioned an assessment of the effects of drought on children in institutional care, those living with disability, children living with HIV, and children deprived of liberty. Preliminary results indicate that these children face an increased level of vulnerability to abuse and neglect. Apart from offering child protection services, UNICEF and partners are advocating for children in institutional care to be prioritized in food assistance programs.