COVID-19 Response Food and Supplies for Families in Zambia

Hello all,

I’m serving as a United Nations online volunteer to help raise funds for Zambian youths and their families who are in need of food and supplies during the lockdown of COVID-19.

This fundraiser was initiated in collaboration with the Youth Press and Development Organization under the program called Malalo Sports Foundation.

All the collected funds on this page will be transferred to the organization.

Please share/donate if you are willing - $5 can feed a family of 6 for one day!

Briefs about the Program and Organization

The Malalo Sports Foundation (MSF) is an initiative of the Youth Press and Development Organization - Zambia and the Friends of YPDO Inc.

The Malalo Sports Foundation has soccer, chess, and community projects such as school education projects in order to support youths and their families in Zambia. However, due to the lockdown and COVID-19, it has placed the project's participants and their families in an unfortunate situation while needing more food and other supplies.

For more information, please visit http://www.malalosport.com/index.html.

Overview of the Crisis in Zambia Caused by COVID-19 Pandemic

As of August 3, 2020, Zambia has confirmed 6,347 cases and 170 deaths. With escalating infections and prolonged lockdown, more households are suffering, and low-income families become more vulnerable. Lives of them are kept threatening by food insecurity and cuts in salaries.

Food Crisis

Zambia is already challenged by climatic shocks, an energy deficit, and the highest debt in the region prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Reported by Reliefweb, right now, nearly 2 million Zambians are facing acute food and water insecurity, high chronic malnutrition, livestock diseases, and crop destruction caused by dry spells and flash floods.

Also, based on the reports of the World Food Program, Zambia is severely impacted by the Basic Food Basket Cost changes. The change in maize price, which is considered to be the major commodity in Zambia, has hit crisis level from quarter 1, 2020.

Source: Market Monitor, World Food Program 2020

Yet, the pandemic is making the conditions even worse since families are losing their access to food and essential living supplies.

Lockdown

COVID-19 pandemic travel and movement restrictions are having devastating impacts on livelihoods for vulnerable populations, particularly those without a salary who rely on informal sectors to earn a living.

Over 65.4 percent of Zambians work in the informal sector. Women who account for the majority of workers in informal sectors (including street vendors) will be particularly affected. Other vulnerable groups that rely on these informal sectors to support their basic needs such as HIV/AIDS patients, women, children, adolescent girls, and the elderly are adversely affected.

Poverty and Health Issues

According to the World Bank, Zambia ranks among the countries with the highest level of inequality globally. As of 2015, 58% of Zambians earned less than the international poverty line of $1.90 per day and three-quarters of the poor living in rural areas.

Lack of adequate health, water and sanitation services can pose serious challenges for effective Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) of COVID-19 and further increase vulnerabilities, particularly of women, children, people with disabilities, the elderly, and people living with HIV.

These 2 factors have been troubling Zambia for years. The economic downturn and healthcare deficiency due to COVID-19 are bringing enormous impact to the whole nation.

How to Response

To help relieve these problems and providing low-income participants of Malalo Sports with more resources, your actions can matter a lot. And, all funds go to the cause.

We would be very happy if you would use the [Help by sharing] button to share with our project!

Thank you so much for partnering with us in these trying times.

References:

https://reliefweb.int/report/zambia/coronavirus-could-increase-hunger-over-40m-southern-africa

https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/zambia/overview#:~:text=Zambia%20ranks%20among%20the%20countries%20with%20highest%20levels%20of%20poverty,poor%20live%20in%20rural%20areas.

https://www.wfp.org/countries/zambia