Mbabane, 16 July 2020:  UNDP has provided emergency COVID-19 relief support in the form of food and subsistence farming inputs targeting 150 vulnerable households in Vuvulane’s five informal settlements of Mgidza, Khomba, Macethuka, Section 19 and VIF.

The support includes food hampers worth E155,247.00 for 300 families, E33,216.00 for the supply of seedlings for 120 families for home gardens and compost and E51,484.00 for other farming inputs and subsistence farming capacitation. The food hampers will support the 150 families for a period of two months. The farming inputs is part of the community-based recovery interventions to address food insecurity and malnutrition. 

Presenting the supplies to the communities, UNDP Resident Representative, Rose Ssebatindira, stated, “As part of UNDP’s  support towards the COVID-19 emergency response focusing on the most vulnerable populations, the provision of the support to the Vuvulane community speaks to social protection measures. The pandemic has exacerbated fragile safety nets in vulnerable communities.   She added, “We will continue to work in partnership with Government, UN sister agencies and other key sectors to collectively better understand the scale of action needed for social protection for the vulnerable communities and those likely to be left behind.”

UNDP is the UN’s global technical lead on socio-economic response to COVID-19 under the global UN framework for the immediate socioeconomic response to COVID-19. The COVID-19 is more than just a health crisis which is affecting societies and economies and the impact of the pandemic will vary from country to country. There is urgent need for socio-economic responses as the pandemic has exacerbated poverty and inequalities, jeopardizing lives, and livelihoods for years to come.

UNDP Eswatini’s support to the National Response to contain the impact of COVID-19 is structured around three key pillars. These are health systems support; inclusive and integrated crisis management response and addressing socio-economic impact.

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For more information:

Bhekithemba Dlamini

United Nations Development Programme

UN House | Somhlolo Road, Mbabane, ESWATINI

Tel +268 2409 6659