What you need to know:
- EU donates US$62 towards drought mitigation
- El Nino wreaks havoc in Zimbabwe
- Focus on resilience programmes
By Alice Mudzingwa
THE European Union (EU) has released US$62 million towards mitigating the impact of the El Nino-induced drought which has affected agricultural production in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is currently under one of its worst drought periods which forced President Emmerson Mnangagwa to declare a state of disaster.
Addressing the media at a breakfast meeting on EU Day commemorations recently, EU Ambassador Jobst von Kirchmann said EU is deeply concerned with the current drought situation.
“February has been the driest month in history in Zimbabwe and we cannot look away. We have seen the impact on maize harvest, livestock and grazing lands. Let me therefore say EU with you during this difficult time of a crisis,” said Kirchmann.
“Already US$62 million was allocated to address the cycle of drought by team Europe for Zimbabwe to support the country in this difficult situation. We will not stop here because many of us are currently contacting the headquarters to see whether there are extra funds to support Zimbabwe also at a regional level because the drought is also a regional problem,” said Kirchmann.
Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi have declared national disasters due to El Niño-linked droughts.
Speaking at the same event, Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands Eva van Woersem said climate change is a global challenge and can only be tackled by working together on a global scale.
“Climate change impact is a very severe situation especially this year. Trying to focus on resilience programmes and education to mitigate climate change effects is really important for now,” said Woersem.
Spanish Ambassador Natividad Isabel said resilience programmes are a long-term solution that will help in the future
