Written question asked by Nicholas Winterton (Conservative) on Thursday, 22 February 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 28 February 2007. It was answered by Hilary Benn (Labour) on Wednesday, 28 February 2007 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Zimbabwe

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe.

Answer: Despite good rains last year, about 1 million Zimbabweans are reliant on international food aid as the next harvest approaches. Early indications suggest significant failure of this year’s crop in southern Zimbabwe. An independent assessment is expected to be undertaken from April, to examine the scale of forthcoming food shortage. Many Zimbabweans will face difficulty accessing food because of the dire economic situation, resulting from the policies of their Government. DFID will spend £33 million in 2006-07 to tackle food insecurity and HIV/AIDS, including a £3 million contribution to the World Food Programme’s activities in Zimbabwe.

Secondary information