With an estimated three million people facing severe food shortages Nango advocacy and communications manager, Fambai Ngirande, recently told Parliament that appeals for food aid from the international community had received a 'very poor' response.
Giving evidence before a parliamentary portfolio committee on Labour and Social welfare, Ngirande blamed the country's appalling human rights record for the snub by the donors.
“The level of funding into Zimbabwe is devastatingly low. Out of US$276m requested only a paltry US$9m has so far made its way into our coffers,” Ngirande said. His warning comes in the wake of a similar one by retired Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander General Vitalis Zvinavashe who last week called for openness about food shortages affecting the country.
In a thinly veiled attack on Robert Mugabe and his Cabinet, who in the past have claimed that the country had enough food when it did not, Zvinavashe said: “We have to be open about the food situation. We have heard people saying I have so many tonnes of food but if you go to the Grain Marketing Board there is nothing.”
The government is sensitive and highly secretive on issues regarding food security in the country. Last week they barred the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) from making an independent assessment of food requirements in the country which once again is expected to harvest less food this year. - SW Radio Africa
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