Mass hunger killing the vulnerable as food prices soar

By Tererai Karimakwenda

23 March 2006

It is not news to Zimbabweans that food prices are so high that desperate families sometimes go for days without anything to eat. And it is certainly not news to those on the ground who are witnessing the reality of it or suffering through the consequencies. It is their individual stories and experiences that best illustrate the extent of the food crisis in Zimbabwe.

The Reverend Dr Martine Stemerick has been very actively involved with The Providence Caregivers and Orphans Trust, an organisation that helps the most vulnerable in areas of Matabeleland. She told us a shocking statistic that clearly shows why so many are now dying of hunger. She said children in the programme are being fed a high protein mixture of maize and soya bean known as “bota”. A 5 kg bag of this crucial mixture is now selling for Z$800,000. That is almost a million dollars for a 5 kg bag. The children are raised by widows who are also part of the programme. With each widow taking care of an average 5 to 6 kids, one meal of bota porridge for a family unit now costs nearly Z$ 6 million. Dr Stemerick said these food prices are forcing the Providence programme to assist the most desperate of the desperate only.

The most vulnerable, who are the elderly, infants and those affected by HIV and AIDs, are reported to be “dying like flies” as Dr. Martine Stemerick told us this week. She was very emotional and deeply concerned after having spoken to Bulawayo Archbishop Pius Ncube. He told her the church in Bulawayo was no longer able to feed all the families that show up daily crying for help with everything from rent to school fees. What is most heartbreaking is that those who visit the Archbishop desperately seeking something to eat, need it then and there having not eaten for days. She said areas like Lupane and Avoca are devastated.

Southern Africa's food security warning organisation, FSEWS, has said Zimbabwe will harvest only 600,000 tonnes of maize this season, while the country consumes an annual average of 1.8 million tonnes. That is just over a third of what is needed. The report said we will have to import 1.4 million tonnes of maize, 200,000 tonnes of wheat, 40,000 tonnes of sorghum and 6,000 tonnes of rice to avert widespread deaths related to hunger. The maize alone would cost at least US$350 million. The money is simply not there, and choices will have to be made.

As one villager said, ‘we are dead.’