The EU has released a package of humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe worth €53m, to be allocated primarily to the healthcare and resilience building sectors.
The new humanitarian aid package will provide support to Zimbabwe’s primary healthcare system with the goal of addressing residents’ most immediate health needs, as well as shoring up the provision of national health systems and working to ensure residents have equal access to healthcare services; with a particular focus on boosting equal access to healthcare for Zimbabwe’s women. The funding will also go towards shoring up the resilience of local households and communities impacted by ongoing economic and environmental stressors, by boosting their capacity to respond to unexpected crises affecting their food and nutrition security.
Zimbabwe is currently in a state of severe economic and humanitarian crisis, with hyperinflation – annual inflation in Zimbabwe is estimated to be around 500% – leaving nearly 75% of the country’s population below the poverty line; while citizens suffer from acute shortages of fuel, electricity and clean tap water. The issue has been exacerbated by natural disasters, including heavy droughts and the widespread destruction caused by Cyclone Idai earlier this year.
Neven Mimica, Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, said: “This new package of €53 million is another testimony of EU’s unwavering support to the people of Zimbabwe. In a difficult socioeconomic time, we will strengthen our support to critical sectors such as primary healthcare as well as resilience building. This new package brings the EU development portfolio to €287 million for the period 2014-2020 and confirms the status of the EU and its Member States as the biggest donors in Zimbabwe.”
The EU has already allocated €14.5m in humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe this year. This new round of funding will be distributed through a number of the EU’s partners, predominantly NGOs, under the oversight of the United Nations Development Programme.
