Press Release
03 July 2008
UK pledges £9 million in food aid to Zimbabwe
 Millions of people facing severe food shortages in Zimbabwe will be helped by
£9 million in humanitarian support announced today by International Development
Secretary, Douglas Alexander.
The funding will go to the
 World Food Programme (WFP) who will provide food
to over four million of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable families,
including many children.
Alexander also called on Zimbabwe to lift the ban on NGOs and allow
much-needed aid to get through to people who desperately need it.
Whilst the majority of the £9 million will be used to provide food, a
proportion of the funding will be used to strengthen WFP monitoring systems to
prevent political interference and ensure the food is received by the right
people.
Zimbabwe is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis as a direct result of the
general economic collapse, poor governance and a lack of investment in
agriculture, combined with poor weather. The country has had the worst crop in
fifteen years and has failed to produce sufficient grain to meet the needs of
its people. It is estimated that the harvest will only meet around a third of
Zimbabwe’s food requirements.
The WFP assess that the situation will worsen significantly before the end of
the year. The situation will be made more difficult by recent rises in world
food prices. In addition, the impact of HIV and AIDS means that families who are
already poor and vulnerable will be less able to deal with such difficult times.
The WFP and
Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO) estimate that up to 5.1m people
may need food aid this year.
Announcing the new funding, the Secretary of State for International
Development, Douglas Alexander, said;
"The ongoing political problems in Zimbabwe should not divert our gaze from
the continuing humanitarian disaster. By the end of 2008, up to five million
men, women and children could be facing severe hunger and malnutrition. That is
why this Government is allocating £9 million to provide food to those people
most at risk.
"We are providing aid but Zimbabwe must allow the aid to get through. The
continued ban on NGOs is senseless and does nothing but take food away from the
mouths of hungry people. For the sake of the millions who are poor and at risk
of starvation, I call on Zimbabwe to lift this unnecessary ban and allow aid to
get through."
The food will be delivered by the WFP or NGOs. Whilst many NGOs have had
their field operations blocked since June 4th, it is hoped that the ban will
soon be lifted and they will be able to assist in the delivery of aid. If the
ban continues, the WFP will implement contingency plans that will ensure the
food is effectively distributed.
The WFP are confident that they will get the food through to those who need
it most and are putting in place tough safeguards to protect aid deliveries. No
funding or food will go to the Government of Zimbabwe.
The £9 million announced today brings the total UK humanitarian commitments
in Zimbabwe since 2001 to over £220 million. The Department for International
Development (DFID) will spend £44 million this financial year in Zimbabwe.
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Notes to editors:
- The DFID annual contribution to Zimbabwe is £44 million. This
includes support for orphans and vulnerable children, livelihoods
support (see PRP below) assistance for displaced people, HIV/AIDS
prevention, treatment and care, water and sanitation and essential
drugs.
- DFID is focussed on safeguarding rural livelihoods through the
Protracted Relief Programme (PRP), which promotes self reliance and
assists poor families to provide for themselves. The PRP will total £50
million over five years (from 2008-2013).
- As well as support to humanitarian programmes the UK is funding an
expanded response to the AIDS crisis and will help support almost 50,000
people on treatment. DFID also provides £25 million for support to
orphans and vulnerable children which have reached over 180,000
children.
- All DFID funding is channelled through the UN and NGOs. No funding
goes directly to the Government of Zimbabwe.
- The Crop and Food Supply Assessment mission (CFSAM), conducted
jointly with FAO and the Government of Zimbabwe in May 2008 indicated
that last season’s production will cover only a third of Zimbabwe’s
cereal requirements. DFID’s contribution will contribute to the feeding
of up to 4 million Zimbabweans, including the mobile and displaced in
the year ahead.
- DFID continues to take a flexible approach to Zimbabwe’s complex
emergency seeking to move beyond short term reliance on food aid but
also willing and able to respond to crises with additional support.
For further information, contact 020 7023 0600, e-mail
pressoffice@dfid.gov.uk or
call our Public Enquiries Point on 0845 300 4100.
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