Johannesburg — Large-scale food assistance to Zimbabweans could start in the next few weeks, according to a USAID situation report released on 16 July.
Zimbabwe's April 2009 harvest, although considerably better than in previous seasons, was still 680,000 tons short of the national requirement. Initial estimates in a crop report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) are that about 2.8 million people will need food assistance in 2009/10.
At the height of the 2009 lean season - the few months prior to harvest - nearly seven million people required food aid, a figure that gradually escalated from the FAO/WFP June 2008 projection that about 5.1 million Zimbabweans would suffer food insecurity.
Approximately 600,000 vulnerable people are currently receiving food aid, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance.
However, economic conditions have changed since 2008 and foreign currencies, such as the South African rand and US dollar, have replaced the Zimbabwean dollar, making private-sector imports of cereals easier.
"FAO estimates private sector commercial imports for 2009/2010 of approximately 500,000mt, lowering the forecast deficit to 180,000mt," said the USAID situation report.
"Although food security in Zimbabwe has improved in 2009, relief agencies predict the need for a large-scale food assistance programme starting in August or September, when food stores from the April 2009 harvest will likely be exhausted."
WFP spokesman Richard Lee told IRIN a Vulnerability Assessment Committee would survey Zimbabwe's food requirements in August "to give a better picture" of the country's needs and the options available, which "may not be just straight food assistance".
He said private-sector imports would alleviate Zimbabwe's food shortages but, like the rest of the southern African region, the availability of food did not mean that people could afford to pay for it.
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]
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IRIN articles are always trying to prove the negative. Always saying something will get worse....But..but..if NGO gets involved all will be fine!!! I suppose if you are an NGO you have to continually defend your job for relevancy. Another meaningless article from IRIN!
The article seems to be pretty matter-of-fact. After all, this is a UN document. In fact, if you perceive it to be negative then perhaps you're just too sensitive to the fact that after 29 years of incompetent and autocratic rule, things have gotten pretty bad in Zimbabwe and you'd rather not face the facts which the article clearly lists. There's a reason people are starving and it's spelled ZANU-PF.
This is not a fact yet! The Food harvest in Zimbabwe has been very good. I point is the prediction that IRIN makes about what will happen. It just creat a selffor fufilling prophesy. A lot of bad things have been predicted about Zimbabwe. We don't know what will happen despite the good harvest. In the same way we do not know whether bank failures in the USA will continue or whether there will be no recovery from a world wide recession being experienced now. Typical anglo white way of writing is to be too hyperbolic about anything African!
The Minister Of Good Harvests was interviewed as he went back to his ministry's buffet table for second helpings; " there are no food shortages, only reporting of food shortages" he proclaimed as he admonished the roast carver for a larger portion. When pressed for further explanation as he returned to his table, he refused to answer while chewing his food which took longer than the reporter interviewing him could stay conscious due to lack of any food for the last several days. When she regained consciousness later, the room was empty save for a strange turtle shell on the table where the roast had been served.
It's not so much food shortages but the fact that 90% of the people are unemployed and have no money to BUY food.
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