Zimbabwe: Vulnerability Assessment Committee Results 2019

Overview

In Zimbabwe, the poor performance of the economy negatively affected the livelihoods of both rural and urban households, with up to 81.5 per cent of households reporting cash shortages and prices of cereal increasing by up to 78.8 per cent. The proportion of household expenditure on food rose to 68 per cent, as compared to 55 per cent in 2018.
Meanwhile, the 2018/2019 agricultural season performed poorly and was characterized by poor rainfall distribution and long dry spells in most parts of the country. Fall Armyworm and pest infestation, along with disease outbreaks, caused significant crop and livestock losses. In March 2019, Cyclone Idai affected areas on the eastern border, including Chimanimani and Chipinge districts in Manicaland province and Chiredzi and Bikita districts in Masvingo province.
An estimated 5,529,000 people (59 per cent of rural households) in Zimbabwe are food insecure and require emergency cereal (maize grain) assistance amounting to about 818,323 metric tons, according to the ZimVAC 2019 Rural Livelihoods Assessment. Matabeleland North, Midlands, Manicaland and Masvingo have reported the highest proportion of cereal insecure households (above 70 per cent). Of the 5.5 million total food insecure in rural areas, an estimated 3.6 million are projected to face severe food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above) from October to December 2019.