Zimbabwe

The UN warned on Dec. 16 it may have to cut food rations to millions of hungry people in Zimbabwe despite a worsening cholera epidemic, due to a lack of funds. The rainy season under way in the region is expected to fuel the spread of the contagious water-borne disease, which has infected at least 18,418 people and killed 978 since August. Nearly 4 million Zimbabweans receive monthly food rations from the World Food Programme (WFP), which hopes to feed 5.1 million – almost half the population – from January. But donors have contributed only USD 16 million towards a USD 140 million WFP appeal for Zimbabwe, leading to smaller distributions of maize and beans to families in the past two months, WFP spokeswoman Emilia Casella said. (Reuters)