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Zimbabwe Food Insecurity Crisis

A Zimbabwean farmer Anna in her maize field where the plants are stunted by El Niño.

Anna's maize crop, stunted by El Niño, mirrors Zimbabwe's hunger crisis where 7.7 million people are currently food insecure. Photo credit: Tanaka Chitsa/CARE

Anna's maize crop, stunted by El Niño, mirrors Zimbabwe's hunger crisis where 7.7 million people are currently food insecure. Photo credit: Tanaka Chitsa/CARE

Emergencies

Southern Africa’s unprecedented drought and food security crisis is hitting the people of Zimbabwe particularly hard.

About the food insecurity crisis in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is grappling with the devastating effects of the 2024 El Niño climate pattern, which led to crop failures, death of livestock, and water shortages, leaving millions of people in urgent need of emergency food support. These climate-fueled droughts are at the heart of the country’s current crisis.

Right now, six million people in rural communities and 1.7 million in urban areas are struggling to access adequate food, with children and the elderly particularly susceptible to malnutrition. Many households are resorting to extreme measures like eating once a day to cope with the crisis.

7.7

million

people in Zimbabwe dealing with food insecurity

What CARE is doing in Zimbabwe

CARE is providing food assistance in the Bikita and Zaka districts as part of USAID’s Food Assistance for Assets (FFA), which is targeting around 115,000 individuals. The food rations include cereals, edible seeds, and oil. Additionally, CARE is establishing water infrastructure such as piped water plans and solar-powered boreholes to provide clean and safe water for 10,000 people in the Zaka district.

CARE delivers vital food aid to families struggling with hunger across the country. Photo: credit Pauline Hurungudo/CARE
To meet immediate needs, food rations include cereals, seeds, and oil. Photo credit: Pauline Hurungudo/CARE

CARE is also providing food vouchers, nutrition support, and protection services to over 65,000 households in the Gokwe North and Mutare districts. This includes addressing immediate food needs, preventing malnutrition, strengthening community capacity, and supporting survivors of gender-based violence.

These programs meet the immediate food needs of those most affected, and, in partnership with FFA, helping farmers improve their land by removing harmful plants, fixing damaged land, and building structures to save water.

CARE’s response is part of a wider government of Zimbabwe assistance effort that supports households in meeting their food needs following low crop yields in the previous agricultural season. With the rainy season now underway and showing promise, recovery activities and continued food aid are crucial to ensure that communities can benefit from the projected good season.

Last updated: November 2024

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