The Minister for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Sekai Nzenza said that the government has mobilised adequate resources to cover 2,4 million who face hunger and starvation.
Nzenza said the figure represents a 20 per cent rise compared to those that were in need during the same period in 2018. While responding to legislators during question and answer session in Parliament on Thursday, Nzenza said:
We have the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment (ZimVAC) Report. This report helps us to determine needy households. Let me just give you the figures.
Kindly note that between October and December last year, the food insecurity prevalence rate rose to about 20 per cent more than the previous year and during the peak hunger period, which is now, between January and March 2019 our percentage has reached 28 per cent of the rural population.
This is approximately 2.4 million people who are in need of food in this country right now.
Zimbabwe is facing food shortages as the 2018/19 farming season has experienced lower than average rainfall.