The Red Cross federation has made an urgent appeal for $26,8-million in emergency food aid for about 260 000 people in Zimbabwe, in a statement released late on Wednesday.
According to the United Nations, up to 5,1-million people, almost half of Zimbabwe’s population, may be without access to food by the end of this year, said the statement of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
”This preliminary emergency appeal, launched at the request of the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, is therefore intended to provide vital support in responding to the immediate humanitarian needs of 260 100 particularly vulnerable people,” the statement said.
The first distributions of food are scheduled for next month.
The 2008 food security situation in Zimbabwe ”will likely be the worst ever on record … The capacity of government to import food is constrained by soaring food prices and the unavailability of foreign currency in the country,” it said.
It added that the ”calamitous situation” comes on the heels of a difficult 2007 when the country experienced inconsistent rainfall, and flooding early this year, leading to erosion and limited farming activities. — AFP
