Posted on 10/18/2002 11:39:12 AM PDT by blam
UN partially suspends Zimbabwe relief effort
The UN has suspended relief projects in a Zimbabwean town after ruling party activists threatened aid workers and seized donated grain.
The action in Insiza marks the first time the World Food Programme has halted food distributions in the African country.
An estimated 6.7 million Zimbabweans, more than half the population, are in danger of starvation in the coming months.
As aid workers distributed WFP corn Insiza ruling party militants threatened them and then seized three tons of the grain.
The militants then distributed the aid itself, the UN agency said.
Insiza, the site of an upcoming by-election, has been racked by political violence in recent weeks.
"Relief food distributions are not the place for any kind of political activity," said Kevin Farrell of the WFP.
"WFP standing policy is to not tolerate the misuse of its resources for political ends," he said, adding that the UN agency was seeking "urgent assurances from the government" it would not happen again.
Story filed: 17:44 Friday 18th October 2002
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