世界发展银行-Monitoring-COVID-19-Impact-on-Households-in-Zimbabwe,-Report-No.-2---Results-from-a-High-Frequency-Telephone-Survey-of-Households_14页_858kb

Summary of the Rapid PICES Monitoring Telephone Survey on the Impact of COVID-19 on Households in Zimbabwe

Core Content

This report presents the findings from the second round of the Rapid PICES Monitoring Telephone Survey conducted in Zimbabwe from August 24th to September 23rd, 2020. The survey was designed to monitor the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic and is jointly funded by the Zimbabwe Reconstruction Fund (ZIMREF) and UNICEF, implemented by ZIMSTAT with technical support from the World Bank and UNICEF. The data collected was based on a representative sample of 1747 households in the first round and 1639 in the second round, covering all ten provinces of Zimbabwe.

Main Findings

Knowledge and Behavior in Response to COVID-19

• The proportion of people who avoided social gatherings dropped by 25 percentage points from 91% in Round 1 to 67% in Round 2.
• The majority of respondents (around 94% in urban and 81% in rural areas) continued to wear masks in public.
• The proportion of people washing hands after being in public remained largely unchanged, at 85% in rural and 89% in urban areas.

Access to Basic Food Necessities

• The share of households able to buy basic food items increased slightly, but fewer households tried to buy them in Round 2 compared to Round 1.
• Maize meal purchase success increased from 41% to 43%, cooking oil from 41% to 46%, and chicken from 15% to 18%.
• In Round 2, the proportion of households trying to buy maize meal dropped from 64% to 59%, cooking oil from 76% to 70%, and chicken from 67% to 56%.
• Urban areas had better access to basic food items compared to rural areas in both rounds.

Access to Health Services

• The proportion of households able to access medical treatment increased from 79% in Round 1 to 86% in Round 2.
• The primary reason for not accessing medical treatment was lack of money, cited by 91% of those who could not access treatment.

Access to Education

• The share of children engaged in distance learning dropped significantly, particularly in rural areas.
• In Round 2, 39% of rural households and 47% of urban households reported children completing assignments from parents.
• The proportion of households with children completing assignments from teachers dropped from 28% to 5% in urban areas and from 16% to 3% in rural areas.
• The decline is attributed to schools reopening only for certain grades or interviews conducted before the reopening.

Migration

• 3% of households moved since mid-March 2020.
• Most migration was within urban areas (62%) or rural areas (26%).
• Only 12% of households migrated from urban to rural areas, and no households moved from rural to urban areas.

Employment and Income

• The employment rate rose slightly from 51% to 52% nationally, with a 3 percentage point increase in urban areas and a marginal increase in rural areas.
• Among employed households, the share of wage earners dropped from 42% to 38%, while self-employed and farm workers increased.
• About two-thirds of non-farm business owners and 31% of wage earners reported a drop in income since Round 1.
• The proportion of households receiving full wages increased from 64% to 92% in Round 2.
• The share of households reporting a reduction in assistance from government or NGOs and charitable organizations increased.

Food Security

• According to the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), food insecurity worsened since 2019.
• In July 2020, 31% of rural and 18% of urban households faced severe food insecurity, while 75% of rural and 65% of urban households faced moderate food insecurity.
• The proportion of households facing severe food insecurity increased to 27% in Round 2, and moderate food insecurity to 72%.

Government Assistance

• The coverage of COVID-19 cash transfers increased in urban areas (from 3% to 10%) but remained low in rural areas (1%).
• The proportion of households receiving food aid dropped significantly from 15% in Round 1 to 2% in Round 2, mainly due to a decrease in rural households receiving it.

Key Indicators by Round

Conclusion

The survey highlights a complex picture of the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in Zimbabwe. While some preventive behaviors remained consistent, there was a notable decline in social distancing and a reduction in access to education and food security. Income levels continued to decline, particularly among non-farm business owners and wage earners, despite a slight increase in employment. Migration patterns shifted, with more internal movement within urban and rural areas. The coverage of government assistance programs improved in urban areas but declined in rural areas. The data underscores the need for targeted interventions to support vulnerable populations and improve access to essential services.