International food aid does not reach into the dust and desolation of Artwell Mudevairi’s life. His wife and children have left. Amid the political chaos that has gripped Zimbabwe since March, Artwell gets by on alms from friends. When he can, he swaps the onions he is given for other food. But he can never afford the all important, staple, maize meal.

“This is my bucket: Nothing at all. For at least six months there has been nothing at all inside it. Sometimes I go two or three days without eating. Then I’ll get some vegetables and I’ll get one onion or two onions, then I’ll boil them, then I’ll eat. I get most of my main meals when I go to funerals. Yes, I will eat sadza on Saturday. I will be the first person who gets to the funeral.” Artwell’s chicken coop was ransacked when he fled political violence in June.

That’s also when militias of the ruling Zanu-PF beat him with sticks and hurt his leg. “They hit me because I was supporting the opposition party. They said ‘why are you supporting the opposition party?’ I said ‘you know, I am very poor’. I said maybe this party can give us something to eat. You know if Zanu-PF bring something to eat here, they will never give us - even seed, fertiliser, I will never get anything.”

In 1982, Artwell was given 12 hectares of communal land to farm. He grew maize, sugar bean and tobacco. But for lack of inputs and rain, two years have passed since he ran his plough through the soil.

In southern Africa’s former breadbasket, the people are now turning to nature to provide. The United Nations World Food Programme estimates that 5 million people – about half the population - need food. Hunger is the latest bitter truth for millions of Zimbabweans.