THE Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC) has begun the 2026 Rural Livelihoods Assessment as the country grapples with the effects of erratic rainfall, economic strain and below-average harvests in some regions.
The nationwide exercise aims to evaluate food security, nutrition, and household resilience in rural communities, where more than 60% of Zimbabwe’s population lives.
The annual survey will determine the scale of food insecurity across rural Zimbabwe and guide government and humanitarian interventions, as climate shocks, rising input costs and weak harvests threaten to deepen hunger in vulnerable communities.
Aid agencies have warned that climate-induced droughts and rising input costs continue to squeeze vulnerable households.
The findings will likely determine how many Zimbabweans will require food aid during the coming consumption year.
ZimLAC, chaired by the Food and Nutrition Council under the Office of the President and Cabinet, said data collection would take place from May 13 to 22 across all 60 rural districts.
According to the committee, the annual assessment provides updated information on rural livelihoods to guide policy formulation and intervention programmes.
“The overall purpose of the assessment is to provide an annual update on rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe to inform policy formulation and appropriate programming interventions,” the statement read.
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One of the key objectives of the 2026 assessment is to estimate the number of people likely to face food insecurity during the 2026-27 consumption year, including determining the severity and geographical distribution of hunger.
The survey will also evaluate the nutritional status of communities by tracking indicators such as wasting, stunting and obesity, while examining household demographics.
ZimLAC said the exercise would further assess the impact of shocks affecting rural livelihoods, including droughts, cyclones and pest infestation.
Specific data will be collected for children under five, children aged six to 19 years and women aged between 15 and 49 years. Anthropometric measurements will also be conducted for children aged six months to 19 years.
The committee said the findings would help to shape food and nutrition security programmes, strengthen early warning systems, and track progress towards national development commitments under the National Development Strategy 2 and the Food and Nutrition Security Policy.
ZimLAC is a consortium comprising government departments, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and other international organisations involved in food security and livelihoods monitoring.
According to an April 2026 report compiled by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Southern Africa faces a high probability of severe weather disruptions in 2027 due to a projected Super El Niño, which could trigger drought and extreme heat across the region.
