The International Red Cross has launched an urgent appeal for funding in response to a new hunger crisis in the country. In Manicaland province, a usually rainy province in the eastern part of the country, the dried up fields are full of dead or dying maize. In a survey carried out by this paper many families have written off their crops. The Red Cross has set up feeding programmes to try to support the most vulnerable families, but the organisation only has limited funding.
A Red Cross Aid worker, Stambuli Kim, said they were facing a shortfall of US$23.9m (15.9m) for the programmes in Zimbabwe, which include home care for those infected by HIV. Hunger is impacting the efforts to provide anti-retroviral treatment to the sick because the medication has to be taken on a full stomach, he said. Many traditional leaders have since turned to donors for food assistance. I know that my bosses (Zanu (PF)) do not like us to ask for food assistance from NGOs, but, we are now very desperate for survival, said a traditional leader who requested anonymity.