CARE International in partnership with World Vision International in Zimbabwe implemented the DFID-funded project ‘Emergency Cash-First Response to Drought-Affected Communities in the Southern Provinces of Zimbabwe’ from August 2015 to April 2017 in response to the drought which had severely affected the southern areas of Zimbabwe. According to the 2015 ZIMVAC report, the 2014-15 total cereal production for all provinces was lower than the previous season and the five-year average. The ZIMVAC 2015 report forecasted that the 2015 harvests would be far below local and national needs, requiring a response by the government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) and other stakeholders (UN, NGOs and private sector) to fill the expected significant and potentially life-threatening food gaps. These food gaps were expected to be filled through the market, with private traders already active in moving cereals from areas of surplus to areas of high demand. [54 pages]