US special envoy Tony Hall appalled at condition in Zimbabwe



"I remember when this country (Zimbabwe) was the bread basket of Southern Africa, and today that bread basket is empty. I am, and was, appalled at the deterioration that has taken place there, just in 3 years," Hall says. Former Congressman Tony Hall of Ohio, now ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand in the 1960's.

US special envoy Tony Hall appalled at condition in Zimbabwe

US special envoy appalled at condition in Zimbabwe
August 13, 2005, 21:15

A United States Humanitarian Aid mission says it is appalled at conditions in Zimbabwe. The special envoy, led by Ambassador Tony Hall, arrived in South Africa from Zimbabwe yesterday.

The aid mission announced that a further US$ 51 million (about R306 million) will be distributed to 6 drought stricken countries in Southern Africa. An estimated 8,6 million people face severe food shortages in the drought stricken region. Zimbabwe is said to be the worst affected.

Hall says about 40 percent of the renewed food aid from the US will be channelled to Zimbabwe.

"I remember when this country (Zimbabwe) was the bread basket of Southern Africa, and today that bread basket is empty. I am, and was, appalled at the deterioration that has taken place there, just in 3 years," Hall says.

But the World Food Programme (WFP) says more food aid is required to address the massive food crisis facing Southern Africa. An estimated 8 million people are starving in the drought stricken region.

The WFP's Regional director, Mike Sakket, has appealed to other countries for assistance.

"We still need close to US$ 200 million worth of assistance to get us through the harvest next year. So we certainly hope that other sympathetic governments, including the government of South Africa will help provide assistance to WFP," Sakket says.

When this story was posted in August 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:



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