The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has renewed their plea for funds to feed hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans in urgent need of food assistance.
An estimated 2.17 million Zimbabweans are currently in need of food aid and the number is set to rise on the back of an expected failed 2010 harvest.
“In some parts of the country, the food situation is as bad as many of our volunteers and staff have ever seen it,” said Emma Kundishora, secretary general of the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS).
The ZRCS and the IFRC said they were particularly concerned about the impact of the existing and looming food crises on people living with or affected by HIV.
“Hunger is an especially brutal experience for these people. In recent years, for example, we have seen many people default on their ART (anti-retroviral treatment) because the drugs are too toxic without food. Once people do this, their situation deteriorates incredibly quickly,” Kundishora said.
In December 2009, the ZRCS and the IFRC extended their emergency food operation until October this year, calling on donors to give about $33.2 million towards the relief effort.
The appeal has received lukewarm support from donors, with the Red Cross currently facing a funding gap of about $23.9 million.
“We’re very concerned about this and the impact it could have on the support we need to provide to families across the country,” said Stephen Omollo, the IFRC representative in Zimbabwe.
The Red Cross aims to feed more than 222,000 people until October.
Source African Press Agency
African News from NetNewsPublisher.com
Related articles by Zemanta
- Zimbabwe to Establish Fund to Compensate Dispossessed White Farmers (netnewspublisher.com)
- High Broadcasting Fees Cost Zimbabwe Live Coverage of CAN (netnewspublisher.com)
- International Monetary Fund’s Board to Decide Whether to Restore Zimbabwe’s Voting Rights (netnewspublisher.com)
