Tsholotsho district in Matabeleland North is facing a severe food and nutrition crisis. Malnutrition, particularly among children, is a critical concern. The 2023 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) survey reported a stunting rate of 35.4% among children under five in Matabeleland North well above the national average of 29.4% and the highest Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rate in the country at 5.7%. In Tsholotsho, specific nutrition challenges include a moderate acute malnutrition (wasting) rate of 6.1%, suboptimal vitamin A coverage at 75%, low dietary diversity, and widespread household hunger, all indicating chronic food insecurity and heightened vulnerability.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe is grappling with severe challenges from El Niño-induced drought, which has significantly affected food security, nutrition and access to healthcare services, particularly for children under 5. Malnutrition remains a critical public health concern in the country. Nearly one in three children is malnourished, with high rates of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. These issues are especially pronounced among young children, who are most vulnerable to the long-term effects of poor nutrition.
In response to the El Niño-induced drought and its devastating impact on food security and child health, International Medical Corps, with support from the European Union (EU) and in partnership with Action Contre LaFaim, Nutrition Action Zimbabwe and Musasa, is implementing a 12-month project titled, “Zimbabwe El-Niño Emergency Response” (ZEER) to make lifesaving health services accessible to remote communities affected by the drought. As part of ZEER, International Medical Corps launched a food security and nutrition project in Tsholotsho district that will run until October 2025. The project is designed to address rising levels of food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly among vulnerable households in Ward 8, Tshitatshawa.
In January 2025, at the height of the El Niño-induced drought, 32-year-old Yollanda Dube from Ward 8, was struggling to feed her family of seven. The drought limited income opportunities for agricultural workers like Yollanda, and her family relied on sporadic casual labour to afford basic food items like mealie meal (corn), salt and cooking oil. The availability of such work was scarce, and the family often had to make do with whatever food was accessible, regardless of its nutritional value.
Before the project, we were just surviving. Now, I understand the importance of nutrition and feel more hopeful about my children’s future.
Yollanda Dube
Yollanda’s situation became more critical when her 15-month-old daughter was identified to be having moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) through a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) screening. This diagnosis opened the door for targeted nutrition support under ZEER, qualifying her household to receive food rations for four people. The assistance improved her daughter’s health while providing much-needed relief to the entire household.
During the peak hunger period from February to April 2025, the project distributed commodity vouchers in Tsholotsho in three cycles. Each food basket included 10 kg of mealie meal, 750 ml of cooking oil, 1 litre of fresh milk, 1.5 kg of sugar beans, 1 green bar of soap and 450 ml of water-purification chemicals. These essential items helped families like Yollanda’s meet their basic nutritional needs during a time of extreme scarcity.
“Before the project, we were just surviving,” Yollanda says. “Now, I understand the importance of nutrition and feel more hopeful about my children’s future.” In addition to food assistance, the project emphasises nutrition education. Our team educated Yollanda and other community members on how to prepare balanced meals using both distributed and locally available foods. International Medical Corps staff taught people in Tsholotsho how to preserve nutrients during cooking and encouraged them to incorporate items like cooking oil, peanut butter, butternut and crushed beans into children’s porridge to enhance its nutritional value.
Our team also emphasised the importance of regular growth monitoring and health check-ups, and encouraged caregivers to attend medical outreach services supported by the program, which brought health and nutrition services closer to their homes. We also encouraged community members to adopt sustainable practices such as growing drought-resistant small grains, rearing small livestock and establishing community gardens to ensure long-term food security.
“I am thankful for the food commodities we received,” Yollanda says, “and even more thankful for getting the knowledge on how to take my children’s MUAC and prepare nutritious foods to make sure my children grow well.”
The standard food basket distributed through the project not only addressed immediate food insecurity during the lean season but also served as a practical guide for communities on the nutritional value that should be included in daily meals. For Yollanda, the impact was deeply personal. Her daughter, who had previously been underweight and unwell, regained a healthy weight within three months of receiving the food basket and applying the nutrition education.
The combination of food assistance and key nutrition messaging significantly improved the well-being of groups vulnerable to malnutrition, particularly children, pregnant and lactating women, and the elderly. Yollanda’s experience highlights how the intervention went beyond short-term relief; it empowered her with the knowledge to recognise and address malnutrition. She now understands the importance of early detection and timely action, ensuring better health outcomes for her entire family.
In addition to providing food commodities and delivering essential health and nutrition messaging, the project also invested in building local capacity by training two village health workers and one healthcare worker in active screening and the management of acute malnutrition in Yollanda’s village and ward. This nutrition project is critical for sustaining ZEER’s impact, as these trained health workers will continue to monitor and screen children within their communities, ensuring early detection and timely treatment of malnutrition before cases become severe.
The village health workers will also play a vital role in ongoing community education, sharing key nutrition messages to promote healthier dietary practices. Their ongoing community engagement will help households adopt and maintain nutritious lifestyles, reducing malnutrition and low-growth rates among children in Ward 8.
