Posted on 09/10/2002 2:05:33 AM PDT by Clive
NATIONAL NEWS Tuesday 10 , September
State allegedly tricks UN famine envoy
MEMBERS of the World Food Programme (WFP) and World Vision Zimbabwe were on Saturday shocked to find stacks of maize next to where they were meant to distribute food aid to starving villagers at Hwali in Gwanda District.
Villagers, who last bought maize from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) in June, woke up on Saturday to find six trucks full of maize next to free food aid provided by the WFP.
Villagers said the idea appeared to be to create the impression to a United Nations delegation led by James Morris, the UN’s special envoy on famine who visited the area, that the government was managing the famine.
“We were surprised when they told us that maize was going to be available at the same time that World Vision was distributing its food.
“We suspect that this is not a genuine effort because where was the government all along until today?” said James Ndlovu, a villager.
The trick appeared to have worked because Morris, after touring the area commended the government for its effort in trying to alleviate the food situation.
The GMB maize was being sold while the World Vision food was being handed out free to villagers considered eligible after several economic factors had been considered.
Morris and his delegation were in Zimbabwe to assess the food situation as part of their tour of six southern African countries facing starvation.
He left Zimbabwe on Saturday for Zambia where he is expected to make a similar assessment.
At Hwali, more than 100km south of Gwanda 4,300 beneficiaries, screened by World Vision Zimbabwe, the implementing partner, each received 13,8kg of maize-meal, 1,8kg of beans and one 750 millilitre bottle of cooking oil.
“We are here to better understand the story of the human tragedy that has befallen the southern African region.
“I was encouraged that most of the people are optimistic about the future,” said Morris.
He said he was touched by the case of a 12-year- old girl who was weak because of hunger but was looking after a family of 15 brothers and sisters.
Joseph Ndlovu, a villager from the community said the situation was desperate as livestock succumbed to the drought.
He said people were surviving on boiled vegetables from a nearby irrigation scheme.
Some villagers said they were now depending on gold panning to raise money to buy food.
Soneni Dube, the headmaster of Hwali secondary school said schools were seriously affected by the drought as both teachers and students had no food.
Something is funny with this picture. Why weren't they panning for gold before they were starving?
A lot of scheming goes on around food aid. I read an old book about Haiti. Food relief was often sold to other countries for cold cash by police, authorities, etc, even amidst starvation. Most food sent to Haiti at the time was turned around and sold.
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