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Zimbabwe closes UN food offices
United Nations officials in Zimbabwe say they have been forced to close several offices monitoring the distribution of food aid. They say the government in Harare asked the United Nations Development Agency (UNDP) to shut three newly-established field offices in rural areas. But UN workers say the delivery of relief supplies is unaffected and monitoring has continued. "How, we just canât say." Zimbabweâs Government had earlier issued a directive for international food aid to be handed over to local authorities for distribution. Until now, the major foreign food donors have been distributing foreign food aid themselves — there have been concerns that President Robert Mugabeâs government has politicised the food assistance that it controls. There have been allegations by many Zimbabweans that the food assistance controlled by the state has been manipulated so that supporters of President Mugabe are given easier access to the food than his political opponents. The "Votes for Food" program. Zimbabweâs Government has strongly denied the allegations. "Steal food from the mouths of children? What do you think this is, Liberia?" Posted by: Steve 2003-09-05 |
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