§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his latest assessment is of the number of people facing food shortages in Zimbabwe. [147341]
Mr. Gareth ThomasThe Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee's survey in April last year estimated that approximately 4.4 million people in rural areas and 1.1 million people in urban areas would require food aid during the pre-harvest months of January, February and March 2004. However, it is now clear that this figure is an underestimate and is being revised upwards to 5.1 million people in rural areas. Results of a comprehensive urban vulnerability assessment are yet to be released, but are also expected to show a significant increase in people requiring humanitarian assistance.
This increase in beneficiary numbers is partly due to spiralling inflation (now over 600 per cent.), which has affected food prices in shops. There is also emerging evidence of up to several hundred thousand people facing crisis in the former commercial farming areas, most of whom are former farm workers displaced by the Government's disastrous land reform programme. 778W Additionally, the state-controlled Grain Marketing Board has proved erratic and unreliable in contributing to food supply and distribution in the country. Donors are monitoring the situation closely, in close consultation with the World Food Programme.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Government of South Africa on food imports to Zimbabwe. [147342]
Mr. Gareth ThomasApart from being a major exporter of food to Zimbabwe, South Africa is also a donor in the on-going humanitarian relief effort. The South African Government donated approximately 58,000 metric tonnes of maize to the previous WFP emergency operation for 2002–03, and may make a further contribution to the current operation. Accordingly, representatives of the South African Government participate regularly in co-ordination meetings concerning the humanitarian programme in Zimbabwe, where issues such as food imports are discussed.
Outside Zimbabwe, representatives from UK Government regularly discuss the Zimbabwe crisis with the Government of South Africa, though discussions usually focus on broad political and humanitarian issues, rather than food imports.
The UK Government, together with the other major donors (EU and USAID), continue to promote the liberalisation of food imports to Zimbabwe and the role of the private sector.