Zimbabwe Joint Response 2020 SUMMARY 
In August 2019, the government of Zimbabwe declared a national drought disaster with an estimated 5.3m people in need of food assistance at the peak hunger period: April-June 2020. The Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment (ZIMVAC) - to which Plan is a key contributor - indicates that 73,124 people (59.8% of Households) in Tsholotsho district will be food insecure during this period.
Plan International Zimbabwe's Emergency Response emphasizes an integrated FSL (Cash & Voucher Assistance modality) & Protection approach. Plan will implement FSL activities with DRA funds complementing its existing protection  programs, reaching additional 7,650 individuals not supported by other actors. Through unconditional cash and cash for work modalities, people will be enabled to meet basic food needs while mitigating protection issues as a result of drought-induced negative coping strategies. This 6 month programme started March 5th and will end Sept 4th 2020. In August 2019, the government of Zimbabwe declared the drought a national disaster with an estimated 5.3m people in need of food assistance at the peak hunger period: April-June2020 (Flash Appeal 2019-2020). The Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment (ZIMVAC) to which Plan is a key contributor indicates that 73,124 people (59.8% of HH) in Tsholotsho district will be food insecure during this period, second only to Binga in Matabeleland North Provincial ranking. Matabeleland North Province where Tsholotso District is situated has the highest proportion of HHs with low Household Dietary Diversity Scores at 43% (ZIMVAC). Rural Tsholotso depends on rain fed agriculture and purchases for their household food consumption. The situation has worsened by the economic crisis: rising inflation estimated at 400% has decreased the vitality of commodities and ability of HH to purchase inputs for crop production. At least 38.1% of surveyed HH used retained seed for crop production reducing the yield by 50%. Plan's child need assessment revealed negative coping strategies: reducing food intake, child labor, school dropout & exploitation Plan will support 4 drought-affected communities in Tsholotso district through gender & age sensitive FSL reaching 4500 individuals with essential food and nutrition requirements & supporting the livelihoods of 3150 individuals through conditional transfer for HH food production as follows:
1.Unconditional Cash transfer to 4500 persons at $9 per beneficiary for 5 months (Cash WG standard) restricted to the purchase of food commodities: cereals, pulses and vegetable oil. With Market Monitoring, PDMs, CVA assessments
2.Cash for Work and vouchers for seeds & agricultural inputs distributions to 630 HH involved in 10 nutritional gardens with training on production of nutritious horticultural crops & nutrition management. Establishment of 10 Management Committees (5 females & 2 males per site)

PROTECTION MAINSTREAMING: 
-GBV Rapid Assessment & Action Plans development 
-Engage the 8 Child-led and Adult-led CP Committees capacitated under SIDA project to identify protection risks affecting girls & boys during distributions, raise awareness on CP & GBV risks with staff during distributions & rehabilitation work, develop local mitigation strategies and respond to CP cases

FEASIBILITY:most recent WFP survey (Feb 18) showed that while maize grain remained scarce, most HH are purchasing maize meal whose availability remains stable across the country. Plan's PDM & Market Monitoring in Tsholotsho under the SIDA project revealed a 100% availability of maize meal in informal & formal markets (within 5km distance) with supply received from South Africa & Botswana. Village shops are fed by the maize meal supply from South Africa & Botswana, making it an enabling environment for injection of cash transfers into the economy. The dynamics of the Zimbabwe context are well understood by Plan who adapts a flexible approach to cash modalities such as commodity vouchers and in-kind, depending on findings from bi-weekly monitoring. If necessary, we will shift to food distributions Plan follows the RA exclusion & vulnerability indicators, ensuring targeting efficiency & focusing on female SGBV survivors as they are the most affected & exposed to exploitation due to their vulnerability. Plan will ensure their inclusion through their participation & CBOs support, streamlining their rights. Central & time convenient scheduling of activities will ensure selection of the most vulnerable members of the community: Child Headed HH, Female Headed HH, Pregnant & lactacting mothers, and persons with Labour constrains otherwise unable to participate in activities. GBV & Protection will be mainstreamed, building on ongoing activities under Plan's SIDA & Sponsorship programs. Monitoring tools are designed to track the inclusion & vulnerability indicators.
Plan will prioritise Rural Tsholotsho communities which depend on rain fed agriculture for their HH food consumption. Recurrent droughts experienced in the past years disturbed HH food production and consumption patterns Program activities will be scaled-up from existing ongoing activities immediately. 
March weeks 3 & 4: inception phase including recruitment, staff training on FSL and CPiE & GBV mainstreaming, beneficiary registration 
April week 1: first CVA distribution
April week 2 through August week 1: continuous programming including monthly monitoring and market assessment, PDMs, functioning Community Feedback mechanism
August week 2 through September 10th: handover to the 4 communities & reporting