UNDP raises $60M for food aid in drought-hit country

February 10, 2016 10:05 AM

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday appealed for nearly $1.6 billion in aid to help pay for grain and other food after a drought in the southern African nation badly affected harvests and left 3 million people in need.

A villager uses a wheelbarrow to collect a monthly food ration provided by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, January 25, 2016. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

The United Nations Development Programme has raised $60 million for food aid in Zimbabwe and is feeding 1 million people as the country faces its worst drought in a quarter century, the agency's local head said on Wednesday.

The UNDP head of mission in Zimbabwe, Bishow Parajuli, said the UN plans to raise $130 million under an emergency fund.

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday appealed for nearly $1.6 billion in aid to help pay for grain and other food after a drought in the southern African nation badly affected harvests and left 3 million people in need.

Farmers in Zimbabwe have lost cattle and crops to drought but fear the worst is yet to come.

Zimbabwe is struggling to emerge from a steep 1999-2008 recession that saw its economy shrink by more than 40 percent and the drought is expected to exacerbate its problems.

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

Get rewards worth up to $20 when selected to participate in our exclusive focus group. Your input will help us to make informed decisions that align with your needs and preferences.

I've got feedback!