US gives Zimbabwe US10m

STAFF WRITER

The United States (US) government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), would provide US$10m to Zimbabwe to help fight COVID-19.

The funds will go to the World Food Programme (WFP) for humanitarian assistance for nearly 100,000 vulnerable people in eight urban areas.

“This additional funding, which will help people facing increased food insecurity in Zimbabwe’s urban areas, demonstrates the US commitment to the people of Zimbabwe.  Zimbabweans in urban areas need to practice social distancing measures to protect themselves from COVID-19 and continue to feed their families,” US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Brian Nichols said.

With this additional funding, US assistance to the COVID-19 response in Zimbabwe exceeds US$18 million.

USAID has provided nearly US$15 million, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided US$3 million, and PEPFAR has reprogrammed US$150,000 to deal with COVID-19.

Through this $10 million in new funding, USAID will collaborate with WFP to address increasing food insecurity in urban areas. 

In September 2019, the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) determined that more than 2.2m Zimbabweans in urban areas face food insecurity as a result of rising food prices. 

In May 2020, WFP estimated that this number had increased by as much as one million people as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, which further constrained the economy and severely affected Zimbabweans whose livelihoods depend on the informal sector. 

This funding will ensure that nearly 100,000 people in eight urban districts have access to cash transfers that will ensure adequate food supplies between July and December 2020.

USAID’s emergency assistance to urban areas complements the more than US$110 million that USAID provided to rural areas in 2019, which reached more than 1.8 million rural Zimbabweans across 22 districts.

The United States remains committed to supporting the people of Zimbabwe to improve health outcomes, increase agricultural productivity, stimulate economic growth, protect human rights, and improve democratic governance in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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