World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

At the moment, WFP’s Seasonal Targeted Assistance programme is reaching over 1.4 million vulnerable people around the country. This food distribution is in Zaka district, an area where people were badly hit by last year’s drought.

This grain being distributed is from Zimbabwe’s Grain Marketing Board (GMB). In 2012, for the first time the government of Zimbabwe allocated grain to be distributed to food insecure people through a joint programme with WFP.

People receiving the government grain are given vouchers from the Ministry of Labour and Social Services which they exchange for 50kg of grain each month.

USAID is WFP’s largest donor in Zimbabwe. In 2012 alone, USAID contributed $26 million towards food assistance activities.

In some areas, people are receiving cash to buy their cereal from local sources instead of being given a 50kg bag. Cash transfers provide greater flexibility and allow the individual to decide where they buy their cereal and from whom.

After receiving her cash, this woman said she is going to buy a bag of cereal from a small shop on the way back to her village. WFP compliments the cash with oil and pulses, so her family has a balanced food basket.