More Than 2 Million Face Food Shortages in Zimbabwe: Red Cross

The secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Red Cross said Thursday that in some sections of the country, "the food situation is as bad as many of our volunteers and staff have ever seen it." At least 2.17 million residents need food aid, a figure destined to swell further due to a poor harvest, Emma Kundishora said. Aid agencies reported last month that at least 11 percent of the maize crop for the 2009-10 growing season was "a complete write-off" because of poor rains. For those living with HIV, "hunger is an especially brutal experience," Kundishora said. "In recent years, for example, we have seen many people default on their antiretroviral treatment because the drugs are too toxic without food." The ZRC and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have extended their emergency food operation from December 2009 until October 2010; they are appealing to donors to provide $33.2 million in aid. The groups aim to feed 222,000 people and help mitigate damage to the country's agricultural infrastructure.

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