Climate change, a weak currency and a deteriorating economy are creating food insecurity in Zimbabwe comparable to several war-hit countries, according to a senior World Food Program official.
Francesca Erderman, WFP Representative in Zimbabwe, said: “A combination of economic trends, currency issues, climate issues and harvest issues mean Zimbabwe is regularly featured on the list of global food security risk hotspots. “There is,” he said. Last week's interview. Other countries on the list include Ukraine, Gaza, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and many countries in Africa's Sahel region.
Zimbabwe has been plagued by political and economic turmoil for nearly 20 years, limiting its ability to produce grains and raise funds on international markets needed to stockpile food in times of crop failure. The Zimbabwean dollar is shunned by most people and has lost almost half its value against the US dollar since the start of the year, making it the world's worst-performing currency after the Lebanese pound.
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WFP predicts that around 2.7 million people, more than a quarter of the rural population, will experience grain shortages in the first quarter of this year, Elderman said.
“El Niño conditions, extreme rainfall and extremely high temperatures could affect this agricultural season's harvest, leaving many people running out of grain before the next harvest,” she said. .
The southern African country normally needs 2.2 million tonnes of grain to feed its people and feed its animals, but the government estimates this year's corn harvest will be only half that.
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