Zim Faces Worst Shortage Of Food In Living Memory Despite Claims That Command Agriculture Is A Resounding Success
13 August 2019
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Farai Dziva|Zimbabwe faces the worst shortage of food in living memory, it has emerged.

Zimbabwe’s World Food Programme Director, Eddie Rowe, has said Zimbabwe is facing the most serious food shortage ever.

“The food security situation in the country has been compounded by the economic situation. This year we have more hungry Zimbabweans than ever before,”said Rowe in an interview with CNN.

According to the July 2019 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment report, about 5.5 million Zimbabweans in rural areas are in urgent need for food assistance. The number includes some 2.6 million children. This is an increase from the 4.5 million people in need reported in January 2019.

Zimbabwe reportedly spent $3 billion on a programme called
Command Agriculture between 2016 and 2018.

The programme was meant to increase agriculture production and output in the country. Zimbabwe, however, experienced a drought in the 2018 – 2019 farming season as well as a cyclone.