A United Nations (UN) inter agency mission to Zimbabwe yesterday stressed that the country's humanitarian crisis remains grave, and urged both the Zimbabwean government and the international community to support the strengthening of aid efforts.

The group consisted of officials from the World Health Organisation, the UN Children's Fund and the World Food Programme, and was led by UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Catherine Bragg.

The team visited Zimbabwe to assess responses to a food emergency in which up to seven-million people need food aid, and a cholera epidemic, which had infected some 83 000 people and already claimed more than 3 800 lives.

While noting the international community's generosity to the people of Zimbabwe thus far, the team highlighted the need for further resources, to fulfill the urgent need to effectively contain the country's worst-ever cholera outbreak, through public health outreach and by repairing water and sewage systems.

Additional resources will also be crucial for food aid and to help improve food security.

"If we do not act now," said Bragg, "[Zimbabwe] could end up next year with a situation similar to what we have today".

The mission stressed that the welfare of the people was largely the responsibility of Zimbabwe's government. "We trust that the all-inclusive government will quickly take the necessary steps to address the fundamentals of governance that would allow stability and economic recovery," the mission stated.