MOISTURE STRESS . . . the crop situation in Zimbabwe is bad (File pic)

HARARE –The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET) says Zimbabwe is staring hunger this year, warning that crops in the southern half of the country are already wilting due to moisture stress.

It said below-average precipitation and high temperatures experienced during the past three weeks were expected to result in crop failures in areas such as Masvingo, Gwanda, Bulawayo and part of Manicaland.

The soil water index for the affected areas is less than 10 percent.

“Since December, below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures continue to help strengthen seasonal moisture deficits across central Mozambique, southern Malawi, southern Madagascar and southern Zimbabwe,” FEWSNET said in its latest update on food security in the southern African nation.

The crop situation in other parts of Zimbabwe was equally bad, with only small parts of the main food-producing Mashonaland provinces having received sufficient rains since the farming season started last October.

The US-funded FEWSNET has revised upwards the number of Zimbabweans requiring food assistance during the lean hunger season beginning this month amid fears donors may also encounter a serious cereal shortfall until March 2010

It said close to 2.2 million people or 18 percent of the population would be food insecure in Zimbabwe between January and March 2010, up from an estimated 1.7 million Zimbabweans who were said to be in need of aid between October and December.

This is higher than the previous projection of 1.9 million who were estimated to require emergency food assistance between January and Zimbabwe’s next harvest around March or April.

FEWSNET said the United Nations’ World Food Programme planned to scale up its food assistance activities from January to cover the food insecure population.

WFP was however projecting a major shortfall of more than 40 000 metric tonnes of cereals between December 2009 and March.

The UN agency announced last month that it faced a US$50 million funding gap for its Zimbabwe operation until the end of the year that could see the United Nations agency failing to feed the people who require food aid.

The food pipeline shows a shortfall of nearly 35 000 metric tonnes, with shortages of pulses and cereals experienced in November and December.

The total WFP food requirement from October until the end of the operation in March 2010 is approximately 138 000 metric tonnes for all commodities.

To ease the food shortfall, WFP and non-governmental organisation Concern Worldwide have started a pilot project that provides cash or a combination of cash and food to Zimbabwean beneficiaries.