In 2024, Zimbabwe allocated a budget of $7.6 million to support 7,300 persons with disabilities. However, due to the worsening disaster situation, there is now an urgent need for an additional $1.5 million to fund rights-based services for these vulnerable individuals.

In May, President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a state of disaster due to the severe drought affecting the country. He stated that $2 billion was needed to address the crisis. Zimbabwe, along with neighbouring Malawi and Zambia, has been hit hard by malnutrition caused by the ongoing drought, with the dried-up Kapotesa dam in Mudzi district serving as a stark symbol of the situation.

The drought has forced villagers to travel long distances in search of odd jobs, earning only enough to buy minimal food. Many families in Mudzi have been forced to cut down their meals to two a day, and malnutrition cases have increased by 20% in the past three months. In response, local health experts have developed a nutritional porridge called maworesa, made from locally sourced ingredients to help combat the crisis.

The UN has reported that 7.6 million Zimbabweans, nearly half the population, are in need of aid. In early June, the UN launched a $429 million drought appeal for Zimbabwe, but funding has been slow to come in.

UNICEF Zimbabwe’s Yves Willemot has stressed the severe impact of the drought on children and pregnant women, underscoring the urgent need for international support to address the deepening crisis.