Zimbabwe’s Poor Face Starvation
06/08/2010 07:57:00
Harare, August 06, 2010 – The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET)
has warned Zimbabwe that although there was likely to be an improved supply
of basic commodities on the market following the extension of the duty-free
regulations, poor and very poor households in urban areas were likely to
remain vulnerable with limited income to buy food.
It said in its Zimbabwe Food Security Outlook July to December 2010 that
Matabeleland, and Masvingo provinces were likely to be the worst affected by
looming food shortages anticipated in October when most households run out
of food as the planting season sets in.
“Though a majority of the households are currently food secure, the worst
affected livelihood zones in specific provinces are the Poor Resource Kariba
Valley (Matabeleland North and Masvingo provinces), Beitbridge and South
Western Lowveld Communal (Matabeleland South province), Save River and
Ndowoyo Communal (Southern area of Manicaland province), and the Northern
Zambezi Valley (Mashonaland Central province) which are likely to be
moderately food insecure in the October to December 2010 period.”
It said generally, the food security situation was stable throughout the
country, following improved harvests and the extension of the duty-free
regulations to end of the year.
“This situation is likely to prevail throughout the July to September 2010
outlook period with the majority of poor rural and urban households meeting
their minimum basic cereal requirements. However changes are expected in the
beginning of the October to December 2010 outlook period as cereal
production stocks will diminish for a majority of the poor households
throughout the country.”
The Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) rural livelihoods
assessment in May 2010 projected that about 1.3 million rural people will
not be able to meet their cereal requirements at the peak of the 2010/11
consumption year.
Earlier this year, Agriculture Minister, Joseph Made announced that the
government had banned donor agencies from giving free food while
Matabeleland South Governor, Angeline Masuku also said her province, which
is drought prone and is among the hardest hit, would reject any food aid.
Already there is a food deficit of 416 000 metric tonnes, due to poor
imports and harvests.
Zimbabwe has had to rely on food aid since President Robert Mugabe embarked
on a chaotic and ill advised land reform programme a decade ago. Thousands
of white commercial farmers were pushed off their land, since then the
country has experienced successive grain deficits. But Mugabe and his
cronies blame this on recurrent droughts and sanctions imposed by the West.