HARARE - Zimbabwe is now among the top five recipients of humanitarian aid but crucial budgetary support remains as elusive as ever, according to latest information from the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).OCHA said only Sudan, the occupied Palestinian territory, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pakistan had received more emergency aid than Zimbabwe as of October 3. Out of a consolidated appeal of US$719.4 million for this year, donors have so far chipped in with US$381.7 million to help Zimbabwe overcome challenges inherited from the previous Zanu (PF)-led government.
Uncommitted pledges amounted to US$11.9 million, according to OCHA. Food assistance accounted for the largest chunk of donor interventions, with about US$222 million donated by aid agencies. This translates to more than 58 per cent of the total amount received since the UN launched the 2009 humanitarian appeal for Zimbabwe in November last year.
Aid groups estimate that up to 1.6 million people would require food assistance between September and the next harvest in March/April 2010. About US$290 million is needed to adequately meet the food requirements of all the people likely to face starvation this year, according to OCHA. The UN agency also revealed that support to the farming sector has been
significant, with US$81 million already committed out of an estimated US$142 million needed to meet the requirements of vulnerable farmers during the 2009/10 season which starts this month.
Farmer groups have warned of a “looming disaster” this season amid difficulties in accessing funding to buy inputs. The OCHA said there had been no budgetary support yet for Zimbabwe’s eight-month-old coalition government. The country needs at least US$10 billion to transform its comatose economy which was buffeted by a decade of populist policies and unbridled corruption by Zanu (PF) supporters.
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