Zimbabwe Orders Relief Agency to Hand Over Food Aid

HARARE, Zimbabwe, August 20, 2003 (ENS) - One week ago the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed a 25 million euro donation from the European Commission to help alleviate widespread hunger in Zimbabwe. But today, the UN agency is considering suspending food relief operations in Zimbabwe after President Robert Mugabe's regime ordered all food aid agencies to hand over their hunger relief operations to state control.

WFP spokesman Luis Clemens told the South African Press Association Tuesday that the government of Zimbabwe had reversed an agreement with the agency that previously gave the WFP and the independent aid agencies working under it, the exclusive right to distribute food supplies donated by Western governments.

The Mugabe government's directive allows the WFP and the independent donor agencies to continue delivering food to distribution points around the country - but says that village headmen will take over from the UN in selecting beneficiaries and in handing out the donated food. Most of the headmen are known to be supporters of the Mugabe government.

President Robert Mugabe has been in power since 1980 as Zimbabwe's first prime minister, and then from 1987, as its first president. (Photo courtesy Office of the President)

Critics of the move point out that in two weeks local elections are scheduled to take place, and that in the past the Mugabe government, which has been in power for more than 20 years, used food aid as a political tool, withholding it from opposition party supporters.

The new policy disregards assurances given last year by President Mugabe to WFP Director James Morris that the government would not interfere with food aid distribution.

Last October, the WFP suspended food assistance programs in Insiza, a remote area in Western Zimbabwe, after ruling party supporters seized donated food and distributed it in a partisan manner. The Zimbabwe government currently has no food stocks, and is unable to carry out its own famine relief operations.

The U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe "insists" that the food it provides through the WFP and nongovernmental organizations be distributed to the neediest Zimbabweans "on a strictly non-partisan basis."

This map of Africa shows Zimbabwe in yellow. (Photo courtesy USAID)

Hungry Zimbabweans lost a source of food last year when genetically modified corn offered by the United States as food aid was rejected in May 2002. A U.S. donation of 10,000 tons of corn intended for Zimbabwe was sent to other African countries because because it came in the form of whole kernels, which, if used as seed, could spread genetically modified varieties of the grain across the country. The government of Zimbabwe would not waive its requirement that entering commodities must be certified as not of genetically modified origin.

Until recently, Zimbabwe was a net exporter of maize (corn) mainly to neighboring countries, except during the drought years of 1984, 1992 and 1993, when large quantities of maize were imported.

But, says the WFP, a combination of drought, price controls, the government monopoly on cereal imports, and the drop in commercial maize production due to the land reform programme and HIV/AIDS has stripped Zimbabwe of its former status as southern Africa's breadbasket.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said July 29 that the current food crisis in southern Africa has been exacerbated by drought, deteriorating economic conditions, an increase in chronic poverty, and the interruption of commercial farming activities in Zimbabwe.

A recent WFP/FAO assessment found that about 3.3 million Zimbabweans are currently in urgent need of food aid. By January 2004, that number is expected to jump to 5.5 million.

Some 2,250 children rely on the supplementary feeding programme at Dzivarasekwa for survival. (Photo by Brenda Barton courtesy WFP)

People are so desperate for food that at some distribution sites, beneficiaries have been seen opening and eating uncooked rations on the spot, the WFP says. Some reportedly lack the strength to even carry their food home. The shortage of maize, the national staple food, is driving many to illegal gold panning and the eating of wild foods.

"This donation could not have come at a more critical time,” said Kevin Farrell, WFP Country Director in Zimbabwe of last week's European donation. “Without it food aid supplies for Zimbabwe would have run out by the end of this month. This contribution will enable us to fast track a regional purchase of about 60,000 tons of maize."

The United States, Britain and the European Union are the largest donors of food aid to Zimbabwe. Last year the European Commission and European Union member states contributed over 80 million euros to WFP for Zimbabwe, representing about 40 percent of all contributions raised for the country.

The United States has earmarked US$101,000 for Zimbabwean relief in 2003.

The WFP recently launched a US$308 million appeal to donors to continue feeding up to 6.5 million people throughout southern Africa over the next 12 months. About two-thirds of this budget was targeted to support the people of Zimbabwe.