UNITED NATIONS, June 7 (Agencies): At least 2 million people in Zimbabwe face greater risk of starvation, homelessness and disease because the government ordered aid groups to halt operations there, according to the UN's top humanitarian official. John Holmes, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, spoke Friday after the United States and Britain warned that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's regime is using food and the threat of hunger as a weapon to cling to power ahead of the June 27 presidential runoff.
Much of the UN's aid in Zimbabwe is funneled through non-governmental organizations.
"If voluntary organizations and NGOs are not able to work, humanitarian aid for at least 2 million of the most poor and vulnerable of Zimbabwe's people, particularly children, will be severely
restricted, although we will do our best to make up for this," Holmes said.
On Thursday, Mugabe's government ordered aid groups to suspend fieldwork indefinitely, saying they had violated the terms of their agreement. It has accused at least one group of campaigning for the opposition in the June 27 presidential runoff between Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai.
The suspension order hampers aid delivery to more than 4 million people and puts at least 2 million at greater risk of starvation, homelessness and disease, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Zimbabwe's UN ambassador, Boniface Chidyauskiku, said the relief agencies and the US government have been using food as a political weapon, not Mugabe's government.
"They have gone out into the countryside and they have been telling Zimbabweans that if you don't vote for the opposition, if you don't change your vote, there's no food for you," he said. "So it is the United States using food as a political weapon to effect a regime change in Zimbabwe. This is why we have suspended the activity."
US Ambassador James McGee said Friday that Mugabe's government is distributing food mainly to supporters and people who support the opposition are offered food only if they hand in identification that would allow them to vote. McGee warned that "massive starvation" will result if the situation continues.
