Zimbabwe's Food Insecurity Escalates During COVID-19 Lockdowns

HARARE - A new report from Zimbabwe’s government says hunger and food insecurity have increased during the coronavirus pandemic.  The World Food Program says the problem is especially acute for unemployed residents of the cities. 

The government report, called the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment, says about 2.4 million people in the country’s urban areas are struggling to meet their basic food needs because of lockdowns to contain the spread of COVID-19.   Murambiwa Simon Mushongorokwa, 61, used to get casual jobs in the factories before the lockdowns began. “I used to get about $30 a week," he said. "It was not enough for my needs. But when the lockdown came, it got worse, until I started growing mushrooms. It’s slowly improving my life, if the market prices improve, we will survive.”