Zimbabwe needs over $700 million in humanitarian aid

By Nelson Banya

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe needs $719 million in urgent humanitarian help in 2009, as the country struggles to attract Western aid in an attempt to emerge from a decade of economic collapse, the United Nations said on Monday.

The southern African country suffered economic implosion, pushing inflation to a record 231 million percent last year in June, leaving nine in ten people without a job, and a cholera outbreak that killed more than 4,200.

But the formation of a new unity government by old foes President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in February has raised hopes that the once vibrant economy may begin to recover.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Zimbabwe, Agostinho Zacarias, and Zimbabwe government officials jointly appealed to foreign donors to provide funding to meet the humanitarian needs.

"It is imperative that all partners, particularly donors, buttress the CAP (Consolidated Appeal Process) and generously provide financial support to the implementation of the programmes contained in the current revision if the humanitarian community is to meet the current objectives," Zacarias said.

Zacarias said aid agencies had last November initially put the country's humanitarian needs at $550 million. The figure had now been raised because of growing needs in the sectors of agriculture, health, education, food aid and safe water.

Donors had provided 45 percent of the initial requirements as of the end of May.

Zimbabwe's Red Cross and its partners said last week the country was on the brink of having 100,000 cholera infections, highlighting the decay in water and sewage infrastructure.