President Robert Mugabe's regime has forced an aid agency to leave Zimbabwe, reportedly costing 90,000 children the only daily meal they could count on.
Switzerland's Medair was feeding primary school children in two of Zimbabwe's poorest districts but the authorities refused to renew work permits for international staff, the London Telegraph said Thursday.
Medair began working in Zimbabwe two years ago and gave a meal of enriched porridge to children in 150 schools.
No reason was given for the decision. But, the Telegraph said the government regards foreign aid agencies with deep suspicion and is quietly disrupting their work.
The United Nations World Food Program, which has fed millions of Zimbabweans since 2001, described Medair as one of its best distribution partners. A senior WFP official said there was no one currently available to replace Medair.
The Famine Early Warning System Network predicted more than 2 million rural households would need food this month.
© Copyright 2004 by United Press International
