Staff Reporter |Over 53 000 families in Chiredzi are in dire need of food assistance as hunger intensifies in the sugarcane production province, with the  United Nations calling for urgent intervention before the situation gets out of hand.
Out of the 53 000 starving families at least 22, 179 households are receiving food aid from the United Nations donor agencies.
UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, Bishow Parajuli who is on a three day field mission to drought affected rural wards in Chiredzi district, on Thursday said their efforts to assist the starving villagers need to be increased.
In rural like Chikovo, irrigation scheme in Magogogwe,  Panganayi  in Chiredzi the donor community is  transferring cash through Ecocash to the starving population as a way of assisting them.
“These efforts have to be scaled up to reach more people in need and commended donors for their support,”said Parajuli.
Nationwide, as the result of the drought, some 4.1 million rural people need food aid.
Government has appealed for $360 million to cover the period of April 2016 – March 2017 and at the moment nearly $190 million has been committed by several donors.