HARARE - Humanitarian agencies are appealing for $131 million to address the country’s persistent needs for 2013.

Officially launching the appeal yesterday, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Zimbabwe, Alain Noudehou, acknowledged the improvements in Zimbabwe’s humanitarian situation, resulting in a 2013 appeal that is approximately half of the resources requested in the 2012 Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP).

“The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe has continued to improve and remains largely stable. This is due to the concerted effort by the Government of Zimbabwe, donors and other stakeholders to address the humanitarian needs arising from the challenges that the country faced over the last decade,” he said.

The situation in Zimbabwe is that 1.6 million rural people are expected to need food assistance at the peak of the lean season from January to March 2013.

Zimbabwe continues to face outbreaks of cholera, typhoid and acute diarrhoea in both urban and rural areas. Only one third of the population in Zimbabwe has access to clean water combined with a limited capacity of health structures, large scale disease outbreak remain a risk.

The permanent secretary in the ministry of Regional Integration and International Cooperation, Tedious Chifamba said donor money was welcome but Zimbabwe is not a classic humanitarian case.

Chifamba said donors should use the country’s existing structures when giving aid not to use the guise of aid to interfere with the country’s political processes. - Staff Writer