MOSCOW, August 21 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has delivered 2,500 metric tons of flour as food aid to Zimbabwe, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
"A delivery of 2,500 tons of wheat flour has been delivered to Zimbabwe through Russia's emergency services and the UN World Food Program. On August 19, an official ceremony was held in Harare to hand over the cargo to UN representatives, who will distribute it among local people," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The United Nations' humanitarian arm warned earlier this month that Zimbabwe's food shortage remains acute, and that incoming food aid is likely to prove insufficient.
"Even with commercial imports, there will be a 180,000 ton cereal deficit for 2009-2010," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCNA) said.
As well as food shortages, the country is under threat from a cholera epidemic.
The OCNA estimates that nearly 10,000 cumulative cases of cholera resulting in over 4,200 deaths have so far occurred.
