Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework

Food and Nutrition Security

Food and nutrition security as emphasized in the Zim Asset is one of the key priority areas for the Government of Zimbabwe. The food and nutrition security development priority is in line with SDG 2 to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Gender Equality

Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution provides a strong legal framework for the promotion and attainment of gender equality and women’s empowerment. Further, Zimbabwe is a state party to key regional and international human rights instruments.

Despite the legal commitment to gender equality at the international, regional and national levels, women and girls in Zimbabwe continue to face a myriad of challenges in the political, social and economic spheres as a consequence of gender inequalities and imbalances.

HIV& AIDS

Zimbabwe has a generalized heterosexually-driven HIV epidemic with adult prevalence of 15 per cent (ZDHS 2010/2011) and an annual incidence of 0.98 per cent (National HIV and AIDS Estimates Report 2013). The country has an estimated 1.4 million people living with HIV, with the third largest HIV burden in Southern Africa after South Africa and Mozambique.

Prevalence has nearly halved since the epidemic’s peak in 1997 when it stood at 28 per cent.  HIV prevalence among women aged 15 to 24 is 1.5 times higher than men of the same age (MICS 2014).

Poverty Reduction & Value Addition

The challenges of persistent poverty, with 63 per cent of the population living under the total consumption poverty line, 16 per cent being extremely poor, and significant levels of unemployment and underemployment (particularly in the informal economy), continue to weigh down on sustainable economic development.

These challenges affect mostly young people and women who constitute over 65 per cent and 52 per cent of the total population (2012 Census), respectively. Over 3.7 million people are engaged in informal activities, the majority being women and young people.

Public Administration & Governance

In pursuit of a new trajectory of accelerated economic recovery, growth and wealth creation, the Government crafted a new macro-economic blueprint - Zim Asset. The country faces structural and infrastructural bottlenecks such as: high debt overhang, liquidity crunch, erratic power and water supply, out-dated industrial machinery, high cost of capital (or lack thereof), and widespread company closures.

Social Services & Protection

Social Services and Protection is a component of one of the four national priority areas in Zim Asset: Social Protection and Poverty Eradication. This ZUNDAF result area will support Zimbabwe in strengthening human capital development, resilience, inclusiveness and social cohesion.

The 2014 Country Analysis shows that Zimbabwe has, with the support of development partners, recovered from the worst effects of the multiple crises that beset the country between 2000 and 2009.

Disaster Risk Reduction, Prevention and Response

In response to the general improvement of the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe, the Government, the UN and humanitarian partners have scaled down humanitarian work. As such, there is no coordinated humanitarian appeal process for 2014.