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Zimbabwe
government lifts NGO food aid ban for HIV/AIDS programs
Patience
Rusere, VOA News
August 04, 2008
http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2008-08-04-voa55.cfm
Washington -
The Zimbabwean government said Monday that it is partially lifting
the ban it
imposed in June on the distribution of food assistance by non-governmental
organizations so as to allow those groups seeing to the nutritional
needs of HIV/AIDS patients to restart their programs. The Ministry
of Health and Child Welfare said it agreed with the Ministry of
Labor and Social Welfare to let non-governmental organizations involved
in feeding HIV-AIDS patients resume their work as soon as possible.
Health Minister David Parirenyatwa told VOA letters are being sent
to district and provincial administrators telling them to authorize
such activities. The government banned NGO food distribution in
June, accusing such groups of campaigning for the opposition ahead
of a June 27 presidential run-off ballot.
The head of the US Agency
for International Development last week urged the Harare government
to lift the ban, shortly after a similar call by the European Union
in the context of power-sharing negotiations. Parirenyatwa said
the letters were being distributed this week to expedite matters,
and that NGOs wishing to resume feeding programs for those battling
HIV/AIDS should present themselves to local administrators and request
the appropriate authorization. Parirenyatwa told VOA that the policy
change recognized HIV/AIDS patients need good food as well as the
right medicine. Meanwhile, a World Food Program official said the
United Nations agency is in talks with Harare to provide more aid
despite the ban on NGO distribution. Spokesman Richard Lee said
that although WFP distributions are currently at a relatively low
level it is clear that many more people in Zimbabwe will need aid
by early 2009.
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