Mugabe lifts ban

Zimbabwe state radio reported on 29 August 2008 that President Robert Mugabe has lifted the ban on non-governmental organization (NGO) activity in Zimbabwe. All humanitarian and food assistance organizations can now immediately restart operations. The ban, which has been in place since 2 June, has affected at least 1.5 million people, and humanitarian organizations had warned that approximately 5 million Zimbabweans would have been without food by the end of 2008 if the ban remained in place.