CARE International urges international community to step up support.

CARE International is calling on the international community to meet the WFP (World Food Programme) appeal to avert a food crisis in a country already staggering under record inflation and food shortages.

The UN has said three million people are already reliant on aid, and that figure could rise to five million. CARE is one of WFP's largest partners in Zimbabwe, and is also a member of the Consortium for Southern African Food Emergency food distribution program funded by USAID Food for Peace. CARE plans to steadily increase food distributions each month from about 450,000 people in October to more than 900,000 people per month in the peak hunger period from January to March.

The WFP is appealing for US$151 million to purchase maize regionally in order to meet this year's food aid gap, caused by a poor harvest and the country's economic crisis. WFP’s current food stocks will last until only January, 2009, when most poor families across the country often have nothing left to eat from the previous harvest.

"We are in a crisis, and we're appealing for relief now so this doesn’t become a famine," said Stephen Gwynne-Vaughan, Country Director of CARE in Zimbabawe. “Right now, we have food stocks to support distributions through to January. But when the food aid runs out in January, there will be a problem.

"Timing is crucial. Donors need to meet the WFP appeal now so we can get the food here before January."

In Zimbabwe, which used to be a major exporter of food, harvests have been increasingly poor due to the country's spiraling economic crisis. This year's harvest is only enough to feed one-third of the population, leaving a gap of 1.2 million metric tonnes of grains. The government is expected to import 800,000 metric tonnes of food to fill the markets for those people who can still afford to buy food, and the WFP will distribute food aid for the millions of poor families who qualify for food assistance.

"In some communities, up to 80 percent of the people need food aid," said Gwynne-Vaughan. "Families cope with food crises in different ways. Normally people change the staple foods they eat—they substitute more expensive preferred foods for lower quality and less nutritious foods. In Zimbabwe there is not enough food in the markets, so people reduce the size of the meals they eat, and they reduce the number of meals they eat in a day."

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About CARE: CARE is one of the world's leading humanitarian organisations. CARE has been working in Zimbabwe since 1992, implementing programs in small economic development, agriculture and natural resource management, water and sanitation, health and emergency response. NOTE to editors: In August, the Zimbabwean government lifted a temporary ban that restricted aid agencies, including CARE, from working in the country. CARE’s activities are now proceeding as normal.

Media contacts:

Kenneth Walker, Africa Communications Manager (Johannesburg)
mobile: +27 82 336 8312 e-mail: walker@caresa.co.za

Melanie Brooks, Media and Communications Coordinator (Geneva)
mobile +41.79.590.3047 e-mail brooks@careinternational.org

Amber Meikle, Senior Press Officer (London)
Tel: 020 7934 9348 e-mail meikle@careinternational.org