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Zim does not need food aid: official
The Daily Mirror (Zimbabwe)
October 05, 2005

http://www.dailymirror.co.zw/index.cfm?

ZIMBABWE requires only 300 000 metric tonnes of maize to feed families affected by drought until the next harvest and does not need to appeal for international food aid, a government official said yesterday.

The Director of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Sydney Mhishi, said this while presenting oral evidence before the Parliamentary Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare on the drought relief and humanitarian assistance programmes.

He said the maize deficit could be met through imports.

"Total shortage of maize amounts to 220 000 metric tonnes, roughly 300 000 for distribution to families free of charge," he said.

"An appeal means you declare a state of disaster. The magnitude of the food insecure households was such that there was no need for an international appeal."

The 300 000 metric tonnes would meet the requirements for families that had no capacity to buy the maize regardless of its availability in the shops, he said.

He dismissed allegations that the government had rejected aid, saying other organisations, mainly non-governmental organisations such as Christian Care, continued with their normal intervention programmes.

The World Food Programme had pledged to provide 300 000 metric tonnes of maize, he said, and was soon to sign a memorandum of understanding with the government.

Mhishi said the majority of the people were able to buy food on their own, again invalidating the need for an international appeal.

An inter-sectoral committee that included the government and the private sector did calculations on household vulnerability, he said.

Of the funds allocated to the ministry in the supplementary budget, he said they had since applied for $50 billion for drought relief programmes from the Ministry of Finance.

At the peak of the drought, an estimated 690 000 households required food assistance.

The country has an annual requirement of 1,8 million metric tonnes of maize.

Meanwhile, ministry officials told the committee that they faced major logistical problems in the procurement and distribution of relief aid to all districts.

Shortage of manpower also presented a challenge, they said.

"We have vacancies in almost half of our establishment," said permanent secretary, Lancaster Museka.

Zaka West MP Mabel Mawere chairs the parliamentary committee.

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