WFP warns 1.6M Zimbabweans will need food aid, up 60% this year

"The number of people needing food aid in Zimbabwe will rise by 60 percent this year to 1.6 million, the World Food Programme [WFP] said on Friday, citing an annual assessment carried out by the United Nations and the Zimbabwean government," Reuters reports (7/27). "The deteriorating food situation, said the WFP, was caused by erratic rainfall and dry spells, limited access to agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizer, a reduction in the planted hectarage, poor farming practices and inadequate crop diversification," VOA News writes (Dube/Zulu, 7/27). "The WFP said its $119 million (97 million euro) aid program, meant to run through to March next year, is facing a $87 million shortfall," according to Agence France-Presse (7/27). The agency said it plans to import cereals from surrounding countries and provide cash transfers to affected populations to allow them to purchase food, Reuters notes (7/27).