Japan provides funds to tackle Zimbabwe food scarcity

Japan flag

Japan flag

from DANAI MWARUMBWA in Harare, Zimbabwe
HARARE, (CAJ News) JAPAN has announced funding worth US$2,7 million (R40.9 million) to provide food assistance in Zimbabwe

The new contribution announced on Wednesday further builds on previous contributions provided earlier this year, including $500 000 to support food assistance and community resilience-building activities, as well as $350 000 (R7.5 million) towards emergency relief efforts following Cyclone Idai.

In total, Japan has supported World Food Programme (WFP) in the Southern African country with $3,5 million in 2019.

With the funds announced this week, WFP will be able to support approximately 28 500 people across 24 districts over the next 12 months.

Eddie Rowe, WFP Country Representative and Director, said the timely funding from Japan, received in times of great need, had been crucial to WFP’s operational capacity amid two climate-related disasters.

These are Idai and ravaging drought.

“This new contribution will ensure that the progress we have made is not lost, but rather that these communities continue to build their resilience for the future,” Rowe said.

Funding will boost the Food Assistance for Assets, support to the government’s Home Grown School Feeding programme and nutrition in maternity waiting homes.

Toshiyuki Iwado, Ambassador of Japan to Zimbabwe, said the funding would contribute to Japan’s goal of promoting gender equality, by providing nutritional support to women and children.

Japan’s support has enabled the construction of weir dams and nutrition gardens, mainly in Manicaland, Matabeleland North and South, and Mashonaland Central provinces.

The funding has also provided much-needed nutritional support to expectant mothers at maternity waiting homes across the country.

– CAJ News

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