Drastic relief action in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's Finance Minister has announced a package of emergency measures aimed at addressing a mounting economic crisis and looming famine.

To howls of derisive laughter from Opposition benches, Finance Minister Simba Makoni said resources would be drastically reallocated to cope with problems he attributed solely to drought and inflation.

He made no mention of a Government programme to seize more than 5000 farms owned by the country's white farmers, but announced plans to raise Z$11.5 billion ($449 million) by imposing new customs duties on all non-essential imports and to spend Z$17.1 billion ($667 million) on food relief.