Over 3.5 million people are in crisis phase of worse in Zimbabwe because of food insecurity. Urgent international humanitarian support is required. An additional one million people are in emergency phase, and another 2.7 million are in stressed conditions. This is the highest food insecurity situation ever experienced in Zimbabwe, caused by drought and a declining economic security. In early August, the Government declared the 2018/19 drought and cropping season “a State of National Disaster”. According to international forecasts, the start of the 2019/20 rainfall season is most likely to be delayed and erratic with below-average cumulative seasonal rainfall across the country. Many households are unlikely to afford basic inputs as prices for agriculture inputs are extremely high and incomes are significantly below average.
The country is facing a complex macro-economic crisis, probably the worst since 2008, with the second highest inflation in the world, after Venezuela, and year-on-year food inflation of about 400 percent. Food prices continue to skyrocket beyond the reach of the majority. Prices are expected to continue to increase through at least March 2020 due to limited market supply, significant increases in transportation costs, increased market demand, and devaluation of the Zimbabwean dollar.
The amount of acute malnutrition cases are increasing, with a high prevalence of Global Acute Malnutrition exceeding acceptable thresholds have so far been recorded in nine rural districts in the country. An estimated 780,000 people remain at risk of WASH-related disease outbreaks, including cholera and typhoid, due to inadequate access to safe water. Poor rains have increased the burden of fetching water for children and women, forcing them to travel longer distances and exposing them to the risk of violence and abuse. Access to safe water also remains a challenge for the 20,000 refugees in Zimbabwe. The decreasing access to clean and safe water in both rural and urban areas is heightening the risk of disease and malnutrition. Due to the macroeconomic situation prevailing in the country the health service delivery has been affected. Doctors at public health institutions are currently on strike. Ordinary Zimbabweans being turned away from the public institutions cannot afford private health care.
Water availability and access across most parts of the country is very low and affecting poor households’ livelihoods and incomes, including livestock (mostly cattle) productivity and sales. In some areas, typical livestock movements to usual dry season grazing areas are not happening due to overgrazing and below average pasture availability. Most poor farmers cannot afford livestock supplementary stock feeds. Livestock feed is also not readily available on most markets. The high and increasing costs of livestock veterinary drugs is also affecting animal conditions in most parts of the country. Poor cattle conditions coupled with above average disease prevalence are leading to an increased number of livestock sales and deaths, mainly in typical arid parts of the country.
Zimbabwe is currently stable, however Humanitarian Advisors is closely monitoring the security and political environment as a number of demonstrations have occurred recently and turned violent.