Zimbabwean government called on to act

Human rights experts have urged the Zimbabwean government to do more to rebuild the country's ailing healthcare system.

In total, 70 per cent of essential drugs are being supplied by Unicef.

More is needed from the government to reopen hospitals and provide basic drugs to improve medical care, independent analysts told the United Nations (UN).

According to UN estimations, more than half the country's population are at risk from cholera.

The situation was expected to get worse during the onset of the rainy season.

Special reporter on the right to food Olivier De Schutter said: "With rising unemployment, and hyper-inflation due to several years of economic instability, people have been suffering for too long in Zimbabwe; their right to adequate food has to be fulfilled now."

He estimated that 5.5 million people are facing hunger due to poor agricultural conditions and bad harvests.

Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe has blamed the country's collapsing infrastructure on a "conspiracy" by former coloniser, the UK.

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