Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has received a significant donation from the Russian government, consisting of 250,000 tonnes of wheat and 23,000 tonnes of fertiliser provided by the Uralchem-Uralkali group of Russian companies.
The Russian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Nikolai Krasilnikov characterised the wheat transfer as humanitarian assistance during a statement on Wednesday. He further explained that these deliveries align with the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin to offer aid to African nations.
Last year, Russia initiated a programme offering free grain transfers to several African countries, including Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Mali, Eritrea, Somalia, and the Central African Republic.
This assistance arrives at a critical time as Zimbabwe, along with several other southern African nations, grapples with food shortages caused by an ongoing drought linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon. El Niño disrupts weather patterns, leading to either droughts or excessive rainfall.
According to the UN World Food Programme’s assessment in January, approximately 2.7 million rural Zimbabweans need food aid, underscoring the urgency of international assistance in addressing the food security challenges faced by the country.