津巴布韋報告說食品嚴重短缺

State media in Zimbabwe say six of the country's 10 provinces are facing severe food shortages because of drought and a slow bureaucratic response. The state-run Herald newspaper says a persistent dry spell throughout February and March has lowered crop expectations.

The paper says the government has ordered the agency in charge of grain to start distributing Joseph Made, the minister for agriculture, mechanization and irrigation, accused the Grain Marketing Board of "holding onto" 270,000 metric tons of grain instead of distributing it to starving people.

The newspaper says it was unable to get a comment from the Grain Marketing Board but was informed that the agency has no money to transport the grain.

Zimbabwe has experienced a decade of chronic food shortages. President Robert Mugabe blames the problem on Western sanctions against him and his political allies. Critics of the president accuse him of wrecking the economy through the seizure of thousands of white-owned commercial farms.

津巴布韋國家媒體說，由於乾旱以及政府部門反應遲緩，津巴布韋10個省份中的6個面臨嚴重的食品短缺。國營的《先驅報》說，整個2月和3月份出現的持續乾旱使得人們下調了對農作物收成的預期。

這家報紙說，政府下令負責糧食的部門開始分發食品。但是農業、機械化與灌溉發展部長馬蒂抨擊糧食銷售董事會“囤積”27萬噸的糧食，而不把它們分發給捱餓的人。

這家報紙說，他們沒有能夠讓糧食銷售董事會對此做出評論，但是被告知，這個部門沒有錢來運送這批糧食。

十年來，津巴布韋經歷了長期的食品短缺。穆加貝總統把這個問題歸咎於西方國家對他及其政治盟友實施的制裁。穆加貝總統的批評者指責他通過沒收數以千計的白人擁有的商業農場致使經濟受到嚴重損害。