By Tatenda Mujeyi
Zimbabwe (News of The South) – Zimbabwean cabinet this week considered the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee’s (ZimVAC) 2020 Urban Livelihoods Assessment Report, to understand and map strategies for urban dwellers.
The purpose of the assessment was to provide an annual update on livelihoods in Zimbabwe’s urban areas for the purpose of informing policy formulation and the programming of appropriate interventions.
” The ZimVAC Urban Livelihoods Assessment Report was based on a comprehensive review and analysis of relevant data collected from 9 474 urban households from 38 reporting domains made up of cities, towns, service centres and growth points. The areas of focus of the assessment included Education, Social Protection, Chronic Illness, Crop and Livestock Production, Income and Expenditure, Consumption Patterns, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Children and Women nutrition, Food Security, Housing, Shocks and Hazards, and Impact of COVID-19 on Livelihoods.” Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa said.
The ZimVac is made up of stakeholders from across the devide, consisting of civic society, development partners and government.
“The ZimVAC consists of the following membership: Government Ministries and Agencies, Civic Society Organisations and multilateral partners e.g. the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation.” Minister Mutsvangwa said.
Government emphasised thier commitment to support the urban vulnerable through availing health services as well as launching health insurance fund.
“Government will also continue to implement the urban cash-for-cereal system, in view of the need to continue cushioning the vulnerable. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health and Child Care is working on modalities to support chronic illness medication so that it becomes accessible to the majority of the patients, including through the introduction of a Health Insurance Fund and possibilities of subsiding the same.” Mutsvangwa also said.
Sanitation was also centralised in the report with calls for local authorities tno refrain from establishing settlements were sanitary services are not available.
“Since sanitation is one of the major indicators used to measure the attainment of an upper middle income economic status which Zimbabwe aspires for, Local authorities should also ensure that no people settle on urban dwellings which have no approved sanitation facilities.”Mutsvangwa further emphasised.
The Government also availed information on thier plan of “implementing a rural transformation programme as an enabler for the rural economy to attract urban-rural migration.” The Information Minister also said.
Government also informed on thier role in mitigating food insecurity as it had supplied 42% of the urban households.
“Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that Government has been actively responding to the prevailing food and nutrition insecurity among urban livelihoods, with at least 42 percent of urban households having received some form of support in 2020. Government will continue to mobilize more resources to support the vulnerable as well as upscale emergency support and resilience building efforts” Mutsvangwa also said.
With the Sustainable Development Goal implementation counting down, it remains central that government spearheads delivery with minimal Corruption reports.
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