Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe could become Africa’s next humanitarian disaster with about half the population in need of constant food aid and medical assistance, the UN’s humanitarian chief has told the BBC. Currently three million people rely on aid, and that figure could rise to five million.
Zimbabwe’s politicians recently agreed a power-sharing deal. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF agreed to work together after years of political and economic crises.
Just ahead of the power-sharing agreement, the government lifted a ban on the distribution of food aid which had stopped aid agencies going to rural areas. Critics had accused the ruling party of not distributing aid to opposition areas.
Zimbabwe’s next planting season for maize begins soon and vital preparations need to be made for next year’s harvest. However, there is a massive shortage of seeds and fertilisers in the country.