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Community Assessment of the Food Situation in Zimbabwe June/July 2002: FULL REPORT
National NGO Food Security Network (FOSENET)
October 12, 2002

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Food needs

Population characteristics
In this round the reports focused on particular population and socio-economic characteristics that may make communities more susceptible to food needs.

Vulnerable groups
The most vulnerable groups for food insecurity were identified (by frequency of reporting out of a total of 62 reports) were

• Elderly 23
• People with disability 17
• Orphans and child headed h/holds 13
• The sick / HIV/AIDS /TB patients 13
• Young children 8
• Unemployed / informally employed 1
• Former farmworkers 1

Elderly people and people with disability were thus of greatest concern, followed by orphans/children and ill people. People with disability have become a more prominent group identified as food insecure since the last round of monitoring, possibly indicating that as food scarcities have increased, so food insecurity has intensified in some groups. The consistency with which the plight of the elderly and children is being raised will motivate more specific focus on the difficulties and experience of these groups in future rounds.

While these groups were identified as most vulnerable, almost all reports indicated that whole communities are now are becoming vulnerable. This is attributed to collapse of the harvests, the breakdown of supply through the GMB, the absence of meaningful levels of relief, the scarcity of commercial supplies and political interference and corruption in distribution of scarce supplies. Twenty six (42%) reports noted that supplies into the area have dropped markedly. Communities report distress at the presence amongst them of people like displaced farmworkers and orphan headed households who are in serious need, but are not accessing food assistance (specifically reported in about 8 districts).

"Maize is not coming from the GMB" and "People in this district need food supplies urgently or they will starve" were common reports from districts.

The problem of school children dropping out of school was noted again, but less commonly (much of the reporting period was during the school holidays). There were reports that ways should be found to ensure school child feeding during the school holidays to avoid decline during this period (Mat North).

10 preliminary reports were made of deaths that communities suspect were hunger / food shortage related and these will be further investigated and documented.

Three types of vulnerable groups were identified in this round for closer monitoring of their presence in the district, viz: displaced people, bush boarders and orphan headed households.

Orphan headed households are present in almost all districts. The constraints orphans face in accessing food are discussed later.

Bush boarding in school children is reported to be more common in Matabeleland South, Masvingo and Manicaland. This group of children may be inadequately supported by relief mechanisms targeted at households and food relief programmes in these areas may need to ensure their coverage of such children.

Population movements
The reports indicate a high level of population movement in and out of districts in August / September, for reasons related to work, land and food. Displaced people were reported at a higher level in Matabeleland south, Masvingo, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central. The NGO monitors reported higher levels of population movement than in the June/July reports. From reports of movements in and out of districts, Masvingo, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and Manicaland had the highest level of reported in migration, and Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, and Masvingo the highest levels of out migration. (The figures are too qualitative to judge net migration but it would appear that Manicaland is the one province that seems to have a higher level of net in migration). Matabeleland North had no reported in migration and little reported outmigration.

Migration into districts is primarily attributed to people returning after job loss or to seek informal employment (20% of monitor reports), about 40% of these reports relating to farmworkers having lost jobs, but 60% relating to other kinds of job loss. People moving onto land for resettlement was the next most commonly reported cause (13% reports), while in one report it was noted that people who had moved onto resettlement areas were now returning due to food shortages. Various causes of job loss and job hunting were thus reported as a bigger cause of inward migration than movements for resettlement on acquired land.

Migration out of districts, in contrast, was primarily driven by people moving to resettlement areas ( 19% reports). Job loss, and particularly job loss in farmworkers, was the next major reason (11%) and searching for food was a reported cause in 2 cases.

Displacement and population mobility are one of the most profound features of the August/ September report. The in migration of people who have lost jobs, and of people onto land, poses demands for food security and relief. Food does not itself appear yet to be a major reported cause for populations moving more permanently in and out of districts.

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