1.6m People in Need of Food Aid in Zim – WFP

The World Food Programme (WFP) says that the number of people needing food aid in Zimbabwe will rise by 60 percent this year to 1.6 million.

The organisation says that a poor farming season this year is blamed on erratic rainfall and limited access to seeds and fertilisers, which prompted Finance Minister Tendai Biti to cut the 2012 growth forecast to 5.6 percent from 9.4 percent.

"Our field staff is already reporting signs of distress in rural areas, including empty granaries and farmers selling off their livestock to make ends meet," says Felix Bamezon, the WFP country director.

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