• Millions of Zimbabweans are food insecure
• This comes as the food crisis in the country has escalated
• The crisis is fueled by austerity measures, environmental disaster and political problems

The food shortage in Zimabwe has grown more severe, with an estimated 38% of the country’s rural population in need of assistance.

The 2019 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee has found that 5.5 million Zimbabweans face food insecurity.

Partly as a result, the military has reportedly given President Mnangagwa a deadline by which time he must leave office.

It is not yet clear when the military wants the president gone. According to Bulawayo24, insiders say that the army initially wanted Mnangagwa gone by December 2019, but now there are suggestions that he may be given the boot sooner than expected.

Additionally, sources have speculated that, if push comes to shove, Mnangagwa may find himself removed from office by the military in a similar fashion to his predecessor Robert Mugabe, Briefly.co.za has gathered.

The current food crisis in Zimbabwe is the product of a combination of factors. The country has struggled economically for some time, and austerity measures to address this have added to the financial strain of many citizens, The South African has reported. In addition, the 2018/19 drought ravaged the country, as did other environmental disasters such as cyclones .

These factors have hurt the poorest Zimbabweans the most. The 2019 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee says that $331.5 million in humanitarian aid will be needed before April 2020 to address the crisis.