U.S. commits 30,000 metric tons of sorghum to Zimbabwe
The U.S. Agency for International Development will donate another 30,000 metric tons of sorghum to feed Zimbabwe’s starving population.
The United Nations World Food Program will manage distribution of the food aid, valued at $12 million.
The U.S. government is considered the largest single donor of food aid to the on-going humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. With this contribution, U.S. government food donations to Zimbabwe since November 2001 will total more than 298,000 metric tons.
“Current estimates indicate that more than five million rural Zimbabweans, nearly half of the population, need food assistance before the next harvest in April,” USAID said. “The potential number of food-insecure people in urban centers is less well qualified, but may be as high as one million.”
The U.S. government contributed another 169,000 metric tons of food aid to Zimbabwe by way of non-governmental organizations World Vision, CARE and Catholic Relief Services, which work with the World Food Program to provide food assistance in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.