STAFF WRITER
POOR and underdeveloped Matabeleland North province received the most Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) aid in 2020, further highlighting the dire situation in the region.
This was revealed by the latest Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) Rural Livelihoods Assessment 20th report.
A total of 11 971 rural households were sampled for ZimVAC’s report which was meant to provide an annual update on livelihoods in the rural areas.
92 percent of the NGOs aid were food parcels.
“Matabeleland North, one of the most vulnerable provinces in Zimbabwe, received the most aid with to 41 percent in 2020 compared to 25 percent in 2019,” reads the report.
This was accredited to droughts which were worsened by the Covid-19 pestilence, and left most rural families battling with food shortages.
Nationally, the number of rural households that received aid from NGOs shot to 33 percent in 2020 from 13 percent the previous year.
Mashonaland Central came in second with 35 percent aid up from 15 percent in 2019.
Manicaland and Midlands provinces followed with 33 percent, while in 2019 both received 13 and 7 percent respectively of NGOs aid.
Mashonaland East saw a 20 percent increase to 27 percent.
Matabeleland South rose to 30 percent this year from 26 percent in 2019.
Meanwhile, ZimVAC report noted that that relatives living in urban centres contributed 16 percent aid to the households under study.
While fellow rural folks contributed 13 percent.
Relatives overseas came in with 11 percent of support.
ZimVAC said various secondary data sources and field observations were used to contextualise the analysis and reporting.
