HARARE, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- United Nations humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock is set to visit Zimbabwe this week to assess the humanitarian situation in the country, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Monday.
Lowcock, who will be in Zimbabwe from Feb. 27 to March 1, will thereafter visit neighboring Malawi up to March 2 to also assess the humanitarian situation in the southern African country.
"In Zimbabwe, Lowcock is scheduled to meet with people in rural and urban areas who have been hardest hit by increasing food insecurity, as well as with senior government officials, humanitarian organizations and the diplomatic community," OCHA said.
Zimbabwe is facing increasing humanitarian needs as a result of erratic rains and the economic crisis.
According to aid agencies, at least 2.4 million people are predicted to need humanitarian food assistance in Zimbabwe this year after crop harvests in many parts of the country have been written off due to poor rains and erratic weather patterns.
This will be Lowcock's first visit to southern Africa as UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
