§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Department's most recent assessment is of the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. [172499]
§ Hilary BennThere have been significant humanitarian needs in Zimbabwe for nearly three years as a result of the Government of Zimbabwe's misguided economic policies, including the poorly implemented 503W fast track land programme. These needs are exacerbated by the effect of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and erratic rainfall.
The current Emergency Operation of the World Food Programme and the general distributions by NGOs whom we fund directly are beginning to wind down as this year's crop is now being harvested. The harvest should temporarily make food available to the majority of the population.
The Government of Zimbabwe have cancelled the joint crop assessment with WFP and FAO, claimed that they will produce 2.4 million MT of maize, and declared that international food aid will not be needed this year. The UK and other donors do not believe that the Zimbabwean Government's crop forecast is credible and regret the cancellation of the joint crop assessment which would have provided an internationally accepted basis on which to plan for humanitarian operations later this year. The UN and the rest of the international community have consistently made clear to the Zimbabwean authorities that their lack of transparency in dealing with humanitarian issues, including their plans to import food, makes it more difficult for us to respond effectively. We and other donors will nevertheless continue to work with the UN and other agencies to monitor the humanitarian position in Zimbabwe. Households most likely to be in need of assistance will be those with no access to land or income that are also affected by HIV/AIDS or include orphans, disabled children and the elderly.