Posted By Matilda Mandimutsira Sunday, 07 March 2010 18:30

Humanitarian intervention should be diversified to have a broader social protection focus to include non food items in rural areas a survey carried out by Zim Vac Rural Household Livelihoods has revealed.

According to the report non food household needs such as transport, health , milling and education were among the major household monthly expenditure items and such expenditures were compromising some households' food security status. Solutions according to the report could include cash transfers to poor rural households to improve access to the non-food essential services and short to medium income generating activities for poor households with economically active members.

Meanwhile the report also revealed that a total of 1.1 million rural people were in October last year faced with insufficient means to access adequate food.
The survey revealed that the numbers were likely to have increased to 1.6 million in January. These were likely not to be able to meet their minimum cereal needs during the 2009/10 season.According to the study this represents about 18% of the total rural population , 2% points higher than the May 2009.This is despite households holding significant cereal stocks in September 2009. Households interviewed by VAC had cereal stock insufficient to cover average requirements for the remainder of the current consumption year in all provinces except Mashonaland East and Masvingo.

“It is therefore recommended that food assistance be immediately provided to the affected population using strategies that recognise the general availability of basic food stuffs on the market,” reads part of the research finding report.

The World Food Programme WFP says food security monitoring shows that the ongoing food aid is becoming the major source of cereal consumption in most communities as they exhaust their own harvested stock. There has been widespread concern over the possible outbreak of a drought after most parts of the country received erratic rainfall resulting in crops exhibiting signs of severe moisture stress with worst cases reaching permanent wilting stage.

“A number of provinces have experienced an extended dry spell , with clear indication of crop loss,” reads part of the monthly humanitarian update report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

“While it is too early to predict the impact of these dry spells , many believe this year's productive season will be worse than last year.”
Last month the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai went on tour in Matebeleland to assess the food situation.