Food aid in jeopardy (23-11-06)

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Chilren in Harare eat scraps from a nearby dump
UN leaders last week announced they were scaling back food distribution in Zimbabwe due to donor fatigue.
The UN said Zimbabwe, with its rapidly declining economy, is at the centre of the crisis with more than 3,3 million people facing starvation in the next 12 months.
The UN said US$285 million would be needed to feed those in danger of starvation in Zimbabwe alone. More than half those facing starvation are children. Last season, Zimbabwe asked donors for US$83,6 million in food aid, but received only US$41,7 million.
A WFP official told The Zimbabwean people were on the “very edge”. He said some people had for months been eating banana roots, wild fruits and maize husks, which had no nutritional value but filled them up.
Meanwhile, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union has called on children, parents and teachers to help the millions of people facing starvation in Zimbabwe.
A spokesman for SADTU was quoted saying: “We know what is happening in Zimbabwe – that children can’t go to school because they fear hunger. We are asking those who can afford to contribute food. We will ask our 232,000 members to coordinate the effort at school level and to encourage children, parents and the community to contribute and let people (in Zimbabwe) live.”