By Christopher Makaza

The United Nations (UN), through the Zimbabwe United Development Assistance Frameworks (ZUNDAF), has to date disbursed US$1.5 billion in various projects and programmes over the past two and half years in Zimbabwe, said a UN official.

Addressing the Zimbabwe Youths Sustainable Development Goals Summit at a local hotel recently, Acting UN Resident Coordinator for Zimbabwe and World Food Programme representative Mr Eddie Rowe said ZUNDAF’s contribution accounted for 62 percent of official development assistance to the country.

 “The UN in Zimbabwe, through its five-year strategic framework the 2016-2020 ZUNDAF, has so far delivered US$1,5 billion in various projects and programmes between January 2016 to June 2019 accounting for 62 percent of official development assistance to the country,” he said.

Mr Rowe said ZUNDAF was a framework meant to support the country’s national developmental priorities as informed by the 2013-2018 Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation.

The 2016-2020 ZUNDAF is a UN strategic programme framework to support national development priorities as informed by the 2013-2018 Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset) and to advance on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as other international commitments, norms and standards.

The UN system in Zimbabwe, comprising agencies, funds and programmes continue to implement various development and humanitarian activities in support of national development priorities and strengthening of national capacities to achieve socio-economic stability and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.