(Bloomberg) --

The World Food Programme seeks to raise $204 million to provide help to more than 4 million Zimbabweans as the so-called lean season approaches following a year of drought, rising hyperinflation and coronavirus-related movement restrictions.

Almost 8 million people have fallen into poverty this year and hyperinflation has made basic necessities unaffordable to most, forcing more than half of Zimbabweans in rural areas to skip meals, the United Nations agency said in a statement Thursday.

Without additional assistance, an estimated 6.9 million people, or almost half of the total population, will go hungry by March, the WFP said.

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