- HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe, facing severe food shortages,
turned away a U.S. donation of 10,000 tons of corn because it was not certified
as free from genetic modification, U.S. officials said Friday.
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- The food was diverted instead to neighboring Zambia,
Mozambique and Malawi, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.
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- "Zimbabwe did not waive its requirement that entering
commodities must be certified as entirely non-GMO," or not of genetically
modified origin, the embassy said. Another 8,500 tons of food valued at
nearly dlrs 5 million was being delivered in response to the southern African
country's growing food crisis, the embassy said. About 34,400 tons of U.S.
food aid has already been provided, the statement said.
-
- "Zimbabwe will need to implement economic reforms
if it is to address the larger food crisis," it said.
-
- The U.S.-funded Famine Early Warning System Network estimates
nearly one fourth of Zimbabwe's 12.5 million people are currently facing
hunger.
-
- The World Food Program estimates half the population
will need food aid to avert starvation this year.
-
- The agriculture-based economy is facing its worst crisis
since independence.
-
- Severe food shortages have been caused by erratic rains
and farm disruptions in a government program to nationalize 95 percent
of white-owned farms.
-
- Harvests of the corn are forecast at less than half of
last year's crop and the country will need to import at least 1.5 million
tons of cereals.
-
- The opposition Movement for Democratic Change has accused
the government of using emergency food as a political weapon by denying
aid to the hungry in opposition strongholds.
-
- U.S. officials said American-supplied food was being
distributed through the World Food Program and independent charities led
by World Vision International.
-
- "These programs are conducted on a nonpartisan basis.
Attempts to use U.S. food aid for partisan political purposes would jeopardize
the food relief effort," the embassy said.
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- http://www.connectotel.com/gmfood/ap310502.txt
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- US Offers Even More Food To Zimbabwe
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- By Loughty Dube in Zimbabwe
The Independent - London
5-31-2
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- The United States government has extended a further
$273 million grant in food aid to famine-ravaged Zimbabwe through the
World Food Programme (WFP) amid alarming reports that over six million
Zimbabweans face hunger in the coming year.
US embassy public affairs spokesman Bruce Wharton said the food aid would
consist of 8,500 tonnes of consumables.
"The new assistance to Zimbabwe consists of 7 500 metric tonnes of
corn meal and 1 000 tonnes of corn-soya milk all valued at US$4,96 million
and the aid is chanelled through the US Department of Agriculture,"
Wharton said.
The latest food aid by the US government brings the total aid by that country
to Zimbabwe to US$27,5 million ($1,5 billion) in the last few months.
The US last month came to Zimbabwe's rescue when it responded to the country's
international appeal by donating 34 430 tonnes of fortified maize meal.
The US aid comes amid reports from the WFP and the Food and Agricultural
Organisation that show that over six million Zimbabweans will need food
aid in the coming months as a result of President Robert Mugabe's controversial
land reforms and a severe drought.
The two organisations in their joint report, released on Wednesday this
week, said the country's maize output is estimated to fall by 67% compared
to last year as a result of mayhem on previously productive farms.
Wharton said the food to be distributed through the WFP would meet the
immediate needs of the most vulnerable Zimbabweans.
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