THE District Development Fund (DDF), in partnership with the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, will assist government with the transportation of food aid to various communities countrywide.
Government is on a drive to ensure that food aid is taken to all parts of the country where it is needed.
Various provinces in Zimbabwe failed to harvest enough, with more than 900 000 households said to be in need of food assistance.
Social Welfare minister Sekai Nzenza told rural councilors in Harare that government’s main challenge was to take the food to where it is needed as it did not have adequate transport.
“Government is struggling to transport the food aid to many parts of the country due to the shortage of transport,” Nzenza said.
“The number of people who need food aid has increased with 11% and they are likely to continue increasing,” Nzenza said.
“ We have made efforts to engage the DDF and Zimbabwe Defence forces to assist with transport to carry the food aid to people in the rural areas,” she said.
The minister said her ministry had received complaints that some of the people meant to receive the food could not do so due to transport complications.
“The government, through various ministries that are going to help, will need to make sure that the food aid is transported to all provinces without hindrances,” she said.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said people in communal areas should receive adequate food aid to avoid food-related uprisings.
“The rural people are very peaceful and the government must make sure that they receive food aid,” he said.