Posted on 03/15/2002 7:03:06 PM PST by Clive
THE food crisis in Zimbabwe is worsening by the day as it emerges government does not have the capacity to purchase enough stocks to feed the population.
Reports from non-governmental organisations distributing food under the auspices of the World Food Programme (WFP) indicate that in the rural areas the situation has deteriorated.
"In Lower Gweru, Matabele-land, Muzarabani and Midlands the situation is worsening by the day and some children are collapsing," said a programme officer with one of the NGOs.
"The number of children attending school every day continues to decline. The food being distributed so far is not enough."
The United States government, in a bid to avert widespread hunger in the country, has provided money to buy food for starving Zimbabweans under the WFP emergency food aid programme.
"As part of its ongoing support for the people of Zimbabwe, the United States government is pleased to announce its contribution to the United Nations World Food Programme's Emergency Operation in Zimbabwe," the United States Information Service said.
"The United States is providing 8 470 tonnes of fortified maize meal and the associated transport and handling costs. The value of the contribution is US$4,6 million ($253 million at the official exchange rate)," said the USIS.
The US government is also working with World Vision Inter- national to provide more assistance to villagers in the Midlands and Matabeleland South.
"In addition to the US contribution to the UN World Food Programme's food relief effort in Zimbabwe, the US is now finalising an assistance agreement with the World Vision International," the USIS said.
"This programme will provide for 14 310 tonnes of fortified maize meal and other commodities for some 75 000 of the most vulnerable people in Matabeleland South and Midlands provinces over the coming year," it said.
The total US contribution is expected to be 34 430 tonnes.
"This amount will meet the needs of approximately 170 000 vulnerable people in rural Zimbabwe during the next 12 months. The total value of this assistance is about US$20 million ($1,1 billion)," said the USIS.
Officials at the WFP however said only a few countries had so far responded to the appeal for assistance.
"The funding and pledges we have received so far constitute only 30% of what we actually needed," said an official. "Japan, Britain and now the US have given us assistance. Some organisations though have just made pledges and these include US$5 million by the Department for International Development, a multilateral donation of US$500 000, and US$11,6 million from USAid," said the WFP official.
Today the estimate is 1,000,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the farm invasions continue. It is fall in the southern hemisphere and with the disruption of commercial farming it looks like there will effectively be no winter crop.
Aggravating the man-made disaster is the return of El Niño.
do you think they were "capitalist's"? and wanted to be "paid" for their labor?
I heard that ZANU PF hid thousands of tons of grain in warehouses to starve the masses and intimidate them into voting the "right" way.
Is there any truth to this? If so, where is the food now?
Who will distribute the donated food? Mugabe's regime may sell the food for profit or distribute it unequally to punish his opposition.
Are there any conditions attached to the food? We should at least force Mugabe to return the siezed farms, so can provide their own grain in the future.
Yes.
Does the aide allow Zimbabwe to avoid the consequences of its actions?
Yes.
Only for the homos of Zimbabwe
No, the fact of the matter is that the real majority stood in line for days to vote for change... this is exactly what they did not ask for, but MDC had the election stolen from them. Unfortunately it's the "little people" who will pay for this disaster. I won't wish eating dirt on them.
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