UN agencies step-up operations to address food shortages in Zimbabwe

United Nations agencies and other humanitarian organizations are stepping up operations to address food shortages and their underlying causes in Zimbabwe as whole communities have exhausted stocks long before the next harvest, according to the latest update released today.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is now scaling up operations in Zimbabwe as food needs are expected to increase sharply over the next seven months before the April 2004 harvest.

Last month, the WFP food aid programme reached rural populations in 31 districts, some 1.1 million beneficiaries, up from 22 districts in the post-harvest season in May. Assistance is expected to increase to cover 36 districts this month.

To address longer-term food insecurity, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have so far secured funds to provide agricultural assistance to slightly over 590,000 vulnerable households, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

This assistance will include maize, small grains, and bean seeds. In addition, several other types of assistance such as training services.

Health also remains a concern in Zimbabwe. The country has experienced a number of disease epidemics in the past 12 months threatening the lives of thousands of children and other vulnerable sections of the population.

"It is apparent from such outbreaks that there is an urgent need to strengthen the extended programme of immunization (EPI) through provision of adequate transport, fuel and vaccines to conduct mop up vaccination campaigns," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).