Observer Reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has officially declared the 2023/2024 summer cropping season a national disaster due to the severe drought caused by El Nino. Speaking from the State House in Harare on Wednesday morning, President Mnangagwa referenced the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee Report for 2023, which predicts that 2.7 million people will face food insecurity from April 2023 to March 2024.

Addressing the nation, the President emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring timely food supplies for vulnerable households. Securing food for all Zimbabweans topped the government’s priority list, he stated, announcing plans to mobilize adequate resources and redirect them towards national food security initiatives, including supplementary grain imports.

Preliminary assessments indicate that Zimbabwe needs over US$2 billion for various interventions to address the crisis, according to President Mnangagwa.