津巴布韦报告说食品严重短缺

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 food.But 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. 

津巴布韦国家媒体说，由于干旱以及政府部门反应迟缓，津巴布韦10个省份中的6个面临严重的食品短缺。国营的《先驱报》说，整个2月和3月份出现的持续干旱使得人们下调了对农作物收成的预期。

这家报纸说，政府下令负责粮食的部门开始分发食品。但是农业、机械化与灌溉发展部长马蒂抨击粮食销售董事会“囤积”27万吨的粮食，而不把它们分发给挨饿的人。

这家报纸说，他们没有能够让粮食销售董事会对此做出评论，但是被告知，这个部门没有钱来运送这批粮食。

十年来，津巴布韦经历了长期的食品短缺。穆加贝总统把这个问题归咎于西方国家对他及其政治盟友实施的制裁。穆加贝总统的批评者指责他通过没收数以千计的白人拥有的商业农场致使经济受到严重损害。