Zambia faces influx of Zimbabwe refugees
Zambia reports increase in Zimbabweans entering the country
International Herald Tribune - France
AP LUSAKA, Zambia: Zambian immigration authorities are struggling to cope with a sudden upsurge in Zimbabweans crossing the border to shop for basic products as the economic crisis in their home country bites deeper and its coming wheat harvest is expected to be the worst in years. The immigration department in the southern border city of Livingstone said the number of Zimbabweans crossing into Zambia daily had risen from 60 to 1,000 persons, with long lines forming at the border post every day. Immigration Public Relations Officer, Mulako Mbangweta, said they feared the situation was spiraling out of control in Livingstone ... She said most people crossed into Zambia to buy goods such as bread, corn flour and milk that are now unavailable in Zimbabwe and then returned home. South Africa and Botswana also have an upsurge in cross-border shopping ... The World Food Program appealed last week for US$118 million to help more than 3.3 million Zimbabweans — more than a quarter of the population — facing severe food shortages. Zambian immigration officer Mbangweta gave no estimates of the number of Zimbabweans sneaking into Zambia illegally and staying. But there is mounting concern among Zimbabwe's neighbors that they will be swamped with destitute refugees as Zimbabwe's crisis worsens. Aziz Pahad, South African deputy foreign minister, on Thursday voiced alarm at predictions by the International Monetary Fund that Zimbabwe's inflation may hit 100,000 percent by the end of the year. He said that neighboring countries "will not be able to sustain the levels of refugees." There are an estimated 3 million Zimbabweans in South Africa, most of them illegally ...
International Herald Tribune - France
AP LUSAKA, Zambia: Zambian immigration authorities are struggling to cope with a sudden upsurge in Zimbabweans crossing the border to shop for basic products as the economic crisis in their home country bites deeper and its coming wheat harvest is expected to be the worst in years. The immigration department in the southern border city of Livingstone said the number of Zimbabweans crossing into Zambia daily had risen from 60 to 1,000 persons, with long lines forming at the border post every day. Immigration Public Relations Officer, Mulako Mbangweta, said they feared the situation was spiraling out of control in Livingstone ... She said most people crossed into Zambia to buy goods such as bread, corn flour and milk that are now unavailable in Zimbabwe and then returned home. South Africa and Botswana also have an upsurge in cross-border shopping ... The World Food Program appealed last week for US$118 million to help more than 3.3 million Zimbabweans — more than a quarter of the population — facing severe food shortages. Zambian immigration officer Mbangweta gave no estimates of the number of Zimbabweans sneaking into Zambia illegally and staying. But there is mounting concern among Zimbabwe's neighbors that they will be swamped with destitute refugees as Zimbabwe's crisis worsens. Aziz Pahad, South African deputy foreign minister, on Thursday voiced alarm at predictions by the International Monetary Fund that Zimbabwe's inflation may hit 100,000 percent by the end of the year. He said that neighboring countries "will not be able to sustain the levels of refugees." There are an estimated 3 million Zimbabweans in South Africa, most of them illegally ...