THE POLITICS OF FOOD ASSISTANCE IN
ZIMBABWE
A Human Rights Watch Briefing Paper
August 12, 2004
I. SUMMARY................................................................................................................................ 1
To the Government of Zimbabwe: ....................................................................................... 2
To International Donors, including the European Union, the United Kingdom,
Germany, and the United States:............................................................................................ 3
III. BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................. 3
IV. FOOD SECURITY IN 2004-2005..................................................................................... 5
V. UNEQUAL ACCESS TO FOOD....................................................................................... 7
The government’s food program ........................................................................................... 7
Government restrictions on access to resettled areas ......................................................... 8
Reports of political interference with the international food pipeline.............................. 9
The role of donors.................................................................................................................. 10
VI. APPENDIX
The right to food: obligations under international law..................................................... 12