Devastating is the only word to describe the appalling living conditions the people of Zimbabwe endure. Despite President Mugabe - dictator personified - meting out every sort of travail to his people one can imagine, the world makes some noises and tut-tuts......but no action of any sort. Saddam was criticised by the West for the way he treated his people. It was said to be one of the justifications for invading Iraq to "free" the Iraqis from Saddam's tryanny.
Could it be that because Zimbabwe has no oil or minerals of value to the West that there is no interest in doing something about the plight of the people of Zimbabwe?
The NY Times reports on how desperate things have become when the populace has to resort to scavenging to survive:
"Still dominated after nearly three decades by their authoritarian president, Robert Mugabe, Zimbabweans are now enduring their seventh straight year of hunger. This largely man-made crisis, occasionally worsened by drought and erratic rains, has been brought on by catastrophic agricultural policies, sweeping economic collapse and a ruling party that has used farmland and food as weapons in its ruthless — and so far successful — quest to hang on to power.
But this year is different. This year, the hunger is much worse.
The survey conducted by the United Nations World Food Program in October found a shocking deterioration in the past year alone. The survey, recently provided to international donors, found that the proportion of people who had eaten nothing the previous day had risen to 12 percent from zero, while those who had consumed only one meal had soared to 60 percent from only 13 percent last year.
For almost three months, from June to August, Mr. Mugabe banned international charitable organizations from operating, depriving more than a million people of food and basic aid after the country had already suffered one of its worst harvests.
Could it be that because Zimbabwe has no oil or minerals of value to the West that there is no interest in doing something about the plight of the people of Zimbabwe?
The NY Times reports on how desperate things have become when the populace has to resort to scavenging to survive:
"Still dominated after nearly three decades by their authoritarian president, Robert Mugabe, Zimbabweans are now enduring their seventh straight year of hunger. This largely man-made crisis, occasionally worsened by drought and erratic rains, has been brought on by catastrophic agricultural policies, sweeping economic collapse and a ruling party that has used farmland and food as weapons in its ruthless — and so far successful — quest to hang on to power.
But this year is different. This year, the hunger is much worse.
The survey conducted by the United Nations World Food Program in October found a shocking deterioration in the past year alone. The survey, recently provided to international donors, found that the proportion of people who had eaten nothing the previous day had risen to 12 percent from zero, while those who had consumed only one meal had soared to 60 percent from only 13 percent last year.
For almost three months, from June to August, Mr. Mugabe banned international charitable organizations from operating, depriving more than a million people of food and basic aid after the country had already suffered one of its worst harvests.
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