The United Nations has swiftly pledged to support President Mnangagwa’s call to mobilise more than US$2 billion towards the El Nino-induced drought which led to the declaration of a nationwide State of Disaster yesterday.
UN Resident and Humanitarian co-ordinator Mr Edward Kallon, speaking on the declaration of a state of disaster in Zimbabwe, said the UN would help Zimbabwe mobilise the required resources.
The declaration was made by President Mnangagwa after assessments of the support needed to overcome the effects of the El Nino-induced drought.
The UN acknowledged the severe impact of the ongoing dry spell in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa.
“The UN pledges its support to the Government of Zimbabwe in mobilising resources to tackle the El Nino-induced drought and efforts are underway to finalise a response plan focusing on food security, health, education, shelter and other essential areas to address the needs of those affected by the crisis.
“This crisis has far-reaching consequences across sectors such as food and nutrition security, health, water resources, education and livelihoods, highlighting the urgency of the situation,” he said.
Mr Kallon said the UN emphasised the importance of enhancing resilience-building and climate adaptation efforts to address the effects of such extreme weather events and to combat the overarching climate crisis.
He said the UN recognises the Government of Zimbabwe’s efforts and that of the humanitarian partners for proactive planning and early actions to bolster community resilience.
Mr Kallon said so far, the UN, as part of the national anticipatory action and early response, had allocated US$5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (UNCERF) in December last year.
The sectors targeted with the advance allocation included water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), health including response to the cholera outbreak, protection, as well as agriculture and food security, and nutrition.
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