The United Nations Office in Zimbabwe on Friday marked the World Humanitarian Day with an appeal for more funding to respond to a drought that has left over 4 million people in the southern African country in need of food aid.

Bishow Parajuli, the UN Resident Coordinator said more funding was required to cater for the humanitarian needs of the affected people.

Out of an appeal of 360 million U.S. dollars for the March 2016 to March 2017 period, the UN had so far committed nearly 190 million dollars reaching 1.5 million food insecure people, he said.

According to the 2016 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee report, 2.2 million Zimbabweans require urgent food assistance between July and September this year while the figure would gradually increase in the last quarter of the year before reaching a peak of 4.1 million between January and March 2017.

"We therefore appeal for further support to help the people of Zimbabwe in this difficult period," he said.

An official in the Office of the President and Cabinet Albert Chikondo said the number of people in need of food aid was Zimbabwe's highest since 2009.

"The levels of food insecurity have increased in all the country's 60 rural districts and in some districts it is as high as 79 percent," he said.

He, however, thanked the UN and development partners for their timely response to the government's food aid appeal.

Source : XINHUA