Large numbers at risk of starvation in Zimbabwe

Severe drought and economic meltdown have put large numbers at risk of starvation in Zimbabwe, and many families are trying to flee across the border into neighboring countries, reports Baptist Press.

Farmers in South Africa are patrolling the border themselves, in an effort to stem the flood of refugees from Zimbabwe, where police are conducting night raids on businesses trying to avoid price controls by opening only at night, news services report. The United Nations World Food Program recently asked the international community to help more than 3 million Zimbabweans facing severe food shortages over the next eight months.

Crippled production and skyrocketing inflation -- calculated at anywhere from 3,000 to 11,000 percent -- make food hard to get. Police are forcing businessmen to set a low price for goods on their shelves, and then buying up all of it or allowing friends to come in and buy it, a Bulwayo resident told the Independent news service.

While many humanitarian organizations are responding, the most critical need is for food, according to Scott Hendrix of Global Aid Network, an international relief organization based in Dallas, Texas. Staff members in Zimbabwe are now requesting food in lieu of paychecks, but relief shipments are opening doors for Gospel witness.

"Many people won't come to a church," Hendrix told Mission Network News. "But when you come into a community and they're worried about feeding their family, and you're able to give them some food and talk to them about the love of Jesus Christ, we've seen some amazing results."

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[01/03/2008]

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