A/HRC/43/44/Add.2 53. Many humanitarian agencies complained to the Special Rapporteur about the difficulties they faced in getting clear figures on the Government’s stock levels of maize and wheat staples and expressed serious worries that the current stock may be too low to cover the urgent needs of the most-affected communities beyond January 2020. However, Government representatives also ensured the Special Rapporteur that the shortage of maize importation would be liberalized to overcome food insecurity for the most vulnerable sections of the society. 54. The Special Rapporteur is worried that without access to adequate food and a diversified diet, Zimbabweans, particularly younger children living in rural areas and among the low-income suburban population, will barely survive, and if they do, will have to face a variety of health and developmental challenges. Even short periods of hunger and malnutrition have long-lasting impacts on children under 2 years of age. The situation is very severe, and urgent action is needed to protect future generations. 55. The Special Rapporteur urgently calls upon the Government, humanitarian agencies and the donor community to see this crisis as an opportunity to lend primary support not only in the form of urgent food aid, but also through long-term development and productionoriented support to smallholder farmers, especially women. This would help shift the current food and agriculture systems towards more diversified, sustainable food production and consumption systems. B. Accessibility 56. The current economic and financial crisis, a heavy tax system due to the imposition of austerity measures, unpredictable inflation rates, high levels of unemployment and low wages all contribute to the food insecurity crisis affecting a total of approximately 8 million persons in urban households and rural communities. About 76.8 per cent of the urban households are below the food poverty line. While they are able to meet their cereal requirements, they are unable to meet their other basic needs. Although there are differences among the regions, approximately 93 per cent of households are below the total consumption poverty line.14 57. The energy crisis also negatively affected food security. The proportion of urban households using electricity for cooking decreased from 60 per cent in 2018 to 36.9 per cent in 2019. The proportion of households using wood for cooking increased from 26 per cent in 2018 to 52.7 per cent in 2019, which led to further deforestation. 58. The Special Rapporteur witnessed the consequences of the disastrous economic crisis on the streets of Harare, with people spending long hours queuing for fuel, as well as in front of banks to get cash, and in shops to obtain cooking oil, gas or water. The Special Rapporteur visited local supermarkets in Harare where she observed that while an ample amount of diversified food was available on the market, high inflation rates and food prices prevented a majority of Zimbabweans from purchasing it. The Zimbabweans in Harare and its suburbs explained that the erosion of their incomes combined with an inflation skyrocketing to more than 490 per cent, made food inaccessible to them. Affordable basic commodities should be available on the market for households with reasonable to low incomes, in order to reduce the burden on social welfare. 59. As a consequence of the drought and food insecurity crisis hitting the rural parts of Zimbabwe, waves of people have escaped to cities in search of job opportunities to improve their access to food and other public services. Most of them have ended up living in the informal settlements that are multiplying in the suburbs of Harare. Among other risks, contagious diseases, including an outbreak of cholera, might be expanding quickly in Harare and other urban settings throughout the country. These outbreaks are likely to increase owing to the use of unsafe water and open sewage. 14 10 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee, “2019 Urban Livelihood Assessment Report”, Powerpoint presentation, 2019, p. 107. Available at fnc.org.zw/wpcontent/uploads/2019/12/ZimVAC-2019-Urban-Livelihoods-Assessment-Report.pdf.