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WFP Emergency Report No. 8 of 2006
World Food Programme (WFP)
February 24, 2006

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/HMYT-6MBP42?OpenDocument&rc=1&cc=zwe

Zimbabwe
(a) According to WFP field monitors, neither maize grain nor maize meal was available for sale in three sites surveyed in Matabeleland North, eight sites in Mashonaland West and Central provinces, and in Masvingo town. In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city, maize grain prices spiked 85 percent in the last two weeks to more than Z$68,000 per kg, the highest recorded urban price in the country, as compared to the lowest recorded price ZW$14,286 in Mutare. (The current UN exchange rate is Z$106.145 to the US dollar.) Consumers in Bulawayo reportedly queued for several days to purchase maize grain, while maize meal has not been available in the city for several weeks. Government has reportedly tightened security along Zimbabwe's border with Mozambique following reports that maize shortages in Mutare markets may be linked to cross-border leakage, taking into account substantially higher prices in Mozambique.

(b) In Mashonaland West and Central provinces, despite a lack of maize meal and maize grain in the markets, food availability has reportedly improved as people are consuming green maize, pumpkins, watermelons and vegetables from their fields and household gardens. However, food availability remains a challenge in those vulnerable households which are not benefiting from WFP's Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme as Government-supplied Grain Marketing Board (GMB) commodities remain erratic.

(c) Throughout the country, food distributions to more than 3.4 million beneficiaries under the VGF programme have been negatively impacted as the availability of fuel continues to worsen. Despite these setbacks, WFP has been able to distribute more than 16,000 tons of food for VGF and targeted activities in February to date. Meanwhile, rain, silo and transport capacity, continue to hamper deliveries of food from South Africa to Zimbabwe. Consequently, WFP does not currently have sufficient stocks to complete the February distribution cycle and/or begin pre-positioning food for March distributions.

(d) In February, WFP arranged five observational site visits for the donor community to VGF food distributions in Chegutu and Tsholotsho districts. The site visits are part of WFP's regular programme to demonstrate transparency and accountability to donors of international food aid distributed through WFP.

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