The Nutrition Cluster in Zimbabwe
Operating in a Transitional Environment
Global Cluster Meeting
Nairobi, Kenya
23 March 2011
Background – Basic Indicators
 Population: ~13 Million
 HDI rank: 169/169
 Life expectancy at birth: 47
 HIV prevalence (15-49): 13.7%
 Under-five Mortality: 96/1000
 Maternal Mortality: 790/100,000
 Stunting: 34%
 GAM: 2.4%
Background – Basic Indicators
Background – The Crisis
 Late 1990’s: Unprecedented
decline in the economy,
infrastructure, food security, and
delivery of basic social services
 Early 2009: The situation peaks
 Inflation in the trillions
 Unemployment > 80%
 Cholera outbreak affected
100,000 people
 Half the population required food
assistance
 Civil servants salaries reduced to
nothing - flight
Background – The Causes
 Recurring Drought
 HIV/AIDS
 Controversial Land Reform
 Politically motivated violence
 Dispute over 2008 election
results
 Sanctions (ZANU Position)
 Persons
 Parastatals
Significant
Implications for
funding flows
 Government
Background – The “Transition”
 Late 2008: Power sharing
agreement (JROA) Project
Joint Early Recovery Opportunities Assessment
 Early 2009: Government of
 Donor interest is shifting from
humanitarian
National
Unity to
development funding streams (ECHO – EU)
 Late 2009 to Present
 Emergence of “sector” coordination
mechanisms
 Currency stabilized - dollarization
alongside clusters (WASH, Health)
 Food assistance requirements drop
 Evolution of “transitional” funding
mechanisms
– improved
harvest
such as the Education Transition
Fund
and
Health
 Basic
social
service
infrastructure
improving –health retention
Transition Fund
scheme
 Outbreaks, but not at levels
experienced in 2008 and 2009
Background – The “Transition ?”
The Nutrition Situation
 Chronic Malnutrition: 34%
 Global Acute Malnutrition: 2.4%
 Exclusive Breastfeeding: 6%
 Minimal Acceptable Diet: 8%
 Meal Frequency: 28%
 Dietary Diversity: 31%
 Adequate FCS: 67%
 Prevalence of Diarrhea: 13%
 Cough: 15%
 Fever: 14%
 Significant Differences: Sex,
Residence, Socio-economics
The Crisis and Nutrition
Identified as top priority in
Defying
Standard
Emergency
Metrics
the 2011 CAP - perceived as
medium to long-term need
The Nutrition Cluster in Zimbabwe
Responding to Needs
Objective: Support the government in the coordination of efforts to achieve
optimal nutritional status
all Zimbabweans
Dual for
mandate
by design – near,
medium, and long term
Result 1: programming
Improved situational analysis and planning;
Result 2: Improved information sharing and accountability;
 Co-chaired by the Head of the
Result 3: Improved technical capacity;
National Nutrition Department
Result 4: Increased visibility and resources for programming; and,
Result 5: More effective emergency response
From Cluster to Sector Coordination
 Nutrition Cluster uniquely positioned: dual mandate + co-
leadership by government = evolution to sector coordination
 Cluster coordinator’s role is evolving into a TA role – Build
coordination capacity within established government entities
 Priority 1: Food and Nutrition Council (cross-sector coord)
 Priority 2: National Nutrition Department (intra-sector coord)
Priority 1: Cross-Sector Coordination
FAO, WFP, UNICEF Collaboration
 Commits all stakeholders to the
UNICEF Conceptual Model for
Causes of Malnutrition as an
Organizing principle
 Provides a platform for
development of a national food
and nutrition policy – currently
under development
 Provides an institutional
framework for multi-sector
analysis and coordination moving
forward
Priority 1: Cross-sector Coordination
Institutional Framework
Cabinet (Finance, Etc.)
MoA
MoLSS
Etc.
Food and Nutrition Council
ZimVac
Nutrition
Task Force
Health
Agriculture
WASH
Social
Protection
Priority 1: Cross-sector Coordination
Institutional Framework
Cabinet (Finance, Etc.)
MoA
MoLSS
Etc.
Task Force
SAG
UN Heads
Donors
NGO
Government
Food and Nutrition Council
Technical Advisors (2)
ZimVac
Nutrition
Health
Agriculture
FNSAU
WASH
Social
Protection
Food and Nutrition
Policy and
Strategic Framework
Direct Nutrition
Interventions
Priority 2: Intra-sector Coordination
National Nutrition Unit
Cabinet
Food and
Nutrition
Taskforce
Donors
Minister of Health
Champions
Permanent
Secretary
Principal Director
(Preventive)
NND
IMCI
Principal Director
(Curative)
RH
Principal Director
(Policy and M&E)
HIV/TB
Etc.
Provincial Medical
Directors
Etc.
Priority 2: Intra-sector Coordination
National Nutrition Unit
Cabinet
Food and
Nutrition
Taskforce
Donors
Minister of Health
Champions
Permanent
Secretary
Principal Director
(Preventive)
NND
IMCI
Principal Director
(Curative)
RH
Principal Director
(Policy and M&E)
HIV/TB
Etc.
Provincial Medical
Directors
Etc.
National Nutrition Strategy and Accountability Framework
Key Achievements – 2009 to Present
Key Challenges
 Donor interest and funding (ECHO)
 Evolving funding modalities (pooled funds)
 Lack of consensus regarding status of the emergency
 Humanitarian space vs. Government leadership
 UNICEF
 Segregation of duties (coordinator is taking on traditional
UNICEF leadership roles)
 Conflicting priorities
 No dedicated budget
 No support personnel
Final Thoughts
 Different clusters may be responding to very different
emergencies – E.g. WASH, Protection, Nutrition
 Clusters must evolve to accommodate the context – beware
of over-standardization
 Standard emergency metrics may impede our ability to
respond to actual needs and raise monies in protracted
contexts
 Fit the CAP to the situation, rather than fit the situation to
the CAP