Zim food security doubtful as harvest projections remain poor

Zimbabwe is one of the least funded consolidated appeals by the UN in 2009, with only about US$300 million out of almost US$800 million being raised to tackle Zimbabwes humanitarian crisis. OCHA said last week that a recent food assessment pointed to a 2009/2010 shortfall of some 900,000 tonnes of cereals, in part because the winter wheat harvest is shaping up to be a poor one.
The group also warned that the health delivery system and the food security situation in the country still remains precarious, saying funding is the key to solving numerous humanitarian issues. Earlier this year Zimbabwe government health officials declared that the cholera outbreak was over, but humanitarian groups have warned that the underlying causes of the epidemic have only been marginally addressed. At the same time, the possibility of swine flu spreading to the country, where health care is still severely limited, remains a cause for concern. There are also fears that a devastating drought may affect the country.
The UN earlier this year revised Zimbabwes appeal statistics, saying an estimated 2.8 million people will be in need of food aid in the 2009/2010 lean season. The group has estimated that six million people already have limited or no access to safe water and sanitation across the country, while more than 20 thousand children under-five are suffering from malnutrition.
Without financial assistance, the country will remain in a state of structural emergency and constantly at risk of manageable hazards evolving in major disasters, the OCHA warned in its report.