UN says 7 million Zimbabweans need food aid

The U.N. food program says 7 million Zimbabweans - 80 percent of the population by some estimates - need food aid.

The World Food Program says it is revising its figure from 5.1 million needing food because Zimbabwe's economic crisis has worsened, as has a shortage of bank notes. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's government did not import as much food as anticipated.

The U.N. uses a 2002 census putting Zimbabwe's population at 12 million. But at least a quarter of the population has fled the economic meltdown and political persecution since then.

Zimbabwe has been nearly paralyzed by the crisis precipitated by disputed presidential elections last year. Politicians agreed to a coalition government but for months have been unable to agree how to share Cabinet posts.