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Hot on the heels of a US$378 million dollar appeal by humanitarian organizations operating in Zimbabwe, the Red Cross has asked the international community for an extra $33.2 million to sustain its emergency food distributions and other aid in 2010. Around 2.8 million Zimbabweans are food insecure.
The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, with assistance from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), aims to provide a range of food and livelihood supports to some 220,000 people who are particularly vulnerable, an IFRC statement said on 11 December.
"The needs of this group remain broader than just food. Yes, the immediate needs are critical, but unless we take steps to help communities break their dependence on external assistance, then we're only providing a band-aid solution," said Stephen Omollo, the IFRC's senior representative in Zimbabwe.
Beyond direct access to food, Red Cross volunteers would offer communities longer-term, developmental assistance by providing agricultural inputs like seed and fertilizer, agricultural training, and improved access to safe water.
Echoing the sentiments of the broader humanitarian community when the Consolidated Appeals Process was launched on 7 December, the IFRC noted that the humanitarian situation in the country had improved slightly over the past year, but warned: "There remain serious concerns about the continued impact of hunger on vulnerable communities across Zimbabwe."
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