Australia boosts aid to Zimbabwe

Australia will provide $5 million to Zimbabwe for business grants despite its
continuing condemnation of the impoverished nation's president, Foreign Minister
Stephen Smith says.
Mr Smith said the federal government had pledged the contribution through the Africa
Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), an African-wide initiative led by the United
Kingdom and the Netherlands.
The fund provides matching grants to private-sector businesses for commercially
viable projects which cannot get finance.
The contribution would help finance private activities to boost the country's rural
economy and address long-term food security needs, Mr Smith said.
"Humanitarian need in Zimbabwe remains enormous," Mr Smith told reporters on Monday.
Mr Smith, who has long been critical of Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe, said
Australia was committed to assisting Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his
ministers rebuild Zimbabwe.
"Australia continues to be concerned by the grave situation in Zimbabwe: there must
be an end to politically motivated acts of violence and intimidation, human rights
and the rule of law must be respected; constitutional law must proceed unhindered,"
he said.
"We continue to be very concerned about the ongoing conduct of President Mugabe.
"We welcome very much that South Africa through its new president is taking a very
keen interest in the oversight of the Global Political Agreement," he said,
referring to the pact that paved the way for power-sharing in Zimbabwe.
Australia has financial and travel sanctions in place to target individuals
complicit in the brutality of Zimbabwe's past and who continue to obstruct economic
and social reforms.
The latest contribution boosts Australia's aid to Zimbabwe to $33 million since
February 2009 when the inclusive government was formed.
Mr Smith also announced an extra $8 million in aid to the Philippines following
typhoons which struck the country in September and October, affecting 10 million
people.
The minister pledged $1 million in food assistance to Hurricane Ida victims in El
Salvador and $10 million for education and health programs for Palestinians.
Mr Smith said the federal government would provide an extra $28 million in the next
two years for non-government organisations via a water, sanitation and hygiene fund.
The fund will be managed by AusAID for water and hygiene projects in Sub-Saharan
Africa, South and South-East Asia and the Pacific.
Earlier this month, Mr Smith signed a development assistance partnership agreement
with five major Australian non-government organisations (NGOs) worth more than $175
million over four years.