Recommendations 1. The first rains have already fallen in much of the country and there is therefore an urgent need for the already planned distribution of free and subsidized inputs to reach the most vulnerable families immediately, by mid November if possible, to increase the likelihood of these households harvesting anything this season. 2. Identification of the most vulnerable households is therefore urgent. 3. Free and subsidized inputs should be distributed first in those areas that are known to have poor rainfall and that suffered serious crop failure last year: planting late in such areas will increase the risk of another crop failure, particularly as average rains are being predicted in the first part of this season, with poor rains in 2012. 4. Humanitarian relief is urgently needed and the delay in roll out of feeding of vulnerable groups that we note in some districts in this report, needs to be ironed out as fast as possible, as many families are already compromising severely on their daily food intake. 5. The grinding poverty of many rural Zimbabweans needs to be a priority with government and with the international community: there is a need to urgently address matters of economic development, as food handouts cannot be a permanent solution. 6. It is therefore imperative for the SADC facilitation to proceed with greater urgency in order to facilitate a more constructive dialogue with the donor countries over more substantive development assistance, even during this interegnum phase of the GPA. 7. Civil society in Zimbabwe needs to include the social and economic rights of all Zimbabweans on their lobbying agendas, broadening their current focus from human rights and political rights. 8. The recommendations made to Cabinet to promote the recovery of industries in Bulawayo, need to implemented speedily in order to regenerate some of the 20,000 jobs lost there in the last two years. 9. The Government of South Africa should reconsider its policy of renewed deportations of Zimbabweans, which is poised to exacerbate poverty and hunger in many parts of Zimbabwe. 6