Drought stricken Zimbabwe’s government has appealed to humanitarian organistions for $613 million to cover food imports.
The country which is search of aid from local and foreign donor said that a severe drought and a cyclone has battered the east of the country.
According to a U.N. agency about third of its 15million people are in need of food and assistance after an El-Nino induced drought wilted crops across the country.
Last month, Zimbabwe alongside Mozambique and Malawi, was battered by Cyclone Idai, leaving most of its populations in need of food, water and shelter, making the situation deteriorated for the Zimbabweans
The minister of information Monica Mutsvangwa, tender an appeal document seeking for $300 million in aid for food while the rest would fund emergency shelters, logistics and telecommunications among other needs.
The minister stated that the cabinet had hiked the maize price paid to farmers by 86 percent to $232 a tonne and maintained a subsidy for millers in a bid to keep the price of the staple maize meal down.
Mutsvangwa said farmers would be paid 726 RTGS dollars ($232), up from 390 RTGS dollars.
The RTGS dollar was trading at 3.12 to the U.S. dollar on Tuesday on the bank market and at 4.4 on the black market.
The government is the sole buyer and seller of maize in Zimbabwe through the state-owned Grain Marketing Board.
