1. Executive Summary
The Zimbabwe Red Cross with the support of the IFRC and other Movement partners has continued to carry out it humanitarian activities across the country. The key activities include emergency relief services in times of disasters notably food insecurity operations, shelter provision, health education, first aid, HIV/AIDS, WatSan and youth volunteers development.
Food insecurity has been the most prevalent chronic disaster. According to the 2013 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZIMVAC) reports produced in May, the 2013/2014 consumption year is projected to have 2.2 million people, representing 25% of rural households that are food insecure at the peak of the hunger period in March 2014. This constitutes 32% increase compared with the immediate preceding year. A total of 319,244 metric tons of grain will be required to cover the cereal deficit that the country is facing.
Other humanitarian challenges include water borne diseases such as typhoid and cholera outbreaks that continue to affect the vulnerable Zimbabwean people. This calls for a comprehensive roll out of ZRCS water and sanitation strategies for addressing the challenge. All service programmes such as Health, HIV/AIDS Disaster Preparedness and Management will continue to compliment government humanitarian efforts.
ZRCS greatest challenge in responding to emerging disasters has been its highly limited financial capacity. In this direction, the ZRCS under its turnaround strategy has continued to make concerted efforts towards strengthening its resource mobilization and donor confidence building. The new efforts have resulted in the involvement of outside stakeholders such as some Zimbabwean corporate bodies and the restoration of some PNS support.