Hunger looms

ZIMBABWE’S food situation remains precarious and is certain to compound the difficulties already being faced by government, which is desperate to slam the brakes on an economy that has been in decline since 2000.The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is particularly concerned about the food security situation in rural areas within Matabeleland North and South, Masvingo and Midlands.

“…and, because of a shortage of funding, we’re also concerned about our ability to respond to the needs of the people at this critical time,” said Tomson Phiri, the WFP communications officer.
About 2,2 million people, nearly one quarter of the rural population, is in dire need of food assistance.

Sydney Mhishi, the principal director in the Labour and Social Welfare Ministry, told a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee last week that the most “critical period is January, February and early March.”
The crisis is an indictment on government which seems to be paying lip service to its pledge to revive the country’s agriculture.
Under its economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset), government says food security would be a major priority for the ZANU-PF administration.
Agriculture, along with mining, have been identified as the key drivers of Zim-Asset although their performance could be weighed down by weak international commodity prices and poor rainfall.

The United Nations says the rise in food prices was making matters worse — where in some areas, prices are as much as double what they were last year.
Zimbabwe is set to import nearly 150 000 tonnes of maize from South Africa before the next harvest in April.

Last year’s harvest was affected by flooding and destruction of crops in several parts of the country, creating the need to bring in maize from other countries. It is estimated that nearly 10 000 tonnes of grain is needed each month to supply the most affected parts of the country.

Unfortunately, funding from traditional donors such as the United Kingdom and the United States has been scaled down, forcing the WFP to downsize its assistance to vulnerable groups.
“In fact, we have had to cut rations for one million of our beneficiaries in recent months and there are likely to be deeper cuts as from next month. WFP currently needs US$60 million to fully implement its relief and recovery operations in the next six months,” said Phiri.

With hunger wreaking havoc in the rural areas, analysts believe that the politicisation of food during its distribution cannot be ruled out. — Staff Reporter.
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