Greece donates $650,000 food aid to Zimbabwe

Greece has donated 650,000 U.S. dollars to Zimbabwe to help fight cholera and assist in food relief projects, The Herald said on Thursday.

Speaking recently on the occasion of Greece's National Day, the Greek Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mihail Koukakis said his government was responding to calls for urgent humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe.

The donated amount has been transferred, in equal parts, to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

"The Greek embassy has already transferred the 650,000 U.S. dollars in equal parts to WHO and WFP respectively. This money should be used towards improving the lives of the disadvantaged people," Koukakis said.

In addition, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dispatched two containers of food aid to the embassy in Harare to be distributed to the needy.

The total value of goods dispatched, made up of rice, wheat, flour, sugar, olive oil, high nutrition biscuits and a quantity of water purifying tablets, amount to 103,000 euros, which is approximately 150,000 dollars.

Koukakis said his government would continue to extend humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe.

"We shall continue to support both the needy institutions and people of Zimbabwe since they are good people," he said.

Humanitarian aid from Greece to Zimbabwe has increased ten-fold since 2009.