Australia Pledges $3 Million for Southern African Crisis

The government of Australia has pledged an additional $3 million Australian ($2.29 million US) to help nations in southern Africa mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS, drought and political conflict. "A prolonged dry spell has destroyed much of the harvest across the area -- a situation compounded by the world's highest HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rates, increasing numbers of orphans, chronic poverty and the weakened ability of governments to respond to the crisis," said Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. Of the total amount, $2.5 million Australian ($1.9 million US) will go to the World Food Program for emergency food aid, with the remainder going to the Food and Agriculture Organization to provide relief and recovery through food security and livestock programs. "Food shortages in Zimbabwe have been exacerbated by the Mugabe government's economic mismanagement and human rights abuses. While Australia has suspended development cooperation with Zimbabwe, an exception continues to be made for humanitarian assistance for ordinary Zimbabweans," Downer said.

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