Harare /Johannesburg  - As Zimbabwe's newly united political leaders prepared to hash over the make-up of a unity government, aid agencies urged donors to quickly release aid to feed the country's needy.

President Robert Mugabe, prime minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai and deputy prime minister-designate Arthur Mutambara were due to meet later Thursday to finalize the apportioning of ministries between their parties.

"We hope to finalize everything by the end of the week," Patrick Chinamasa, chief negotiator for Mugabe's Zanu-PF told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

The new unity government will comprise 31 ministers: 15 from Zanu- PF, 13 from Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and 3 from Mutambara's MDC splinter faction.

Zanu-PF is believed to have retained control of defence, with home affairs - the ministry responsible for police - foreign affairs and the economy ministry going to the MDC.

Zimbabweans and the international community have greeted Monday's deal with cautious optimism, with Mugabe and Tsvangirai's agreement to work together seen as a first step towards the country's economic recovery.

"Dawn of a new era!" the front-page headline read in Zimbabwe's state-controlled Herald newspaper Thursday.

British-based aid agency Oxfam called on Western donors to make good on their promises of aid to a reformed Zimbabwe, amid signs Western governments are adopting a wait-and-see approach to a deal that leaves the authoritarian Mugabe with significant powers.

Oxfam's regional director in Southern Africa, Charles Abani, said that, while donors should refrain from "throwing money" at the untested unity government, aid was urgently needed to feed the estimated 3.8 million that will need food aid by October.

Oxfam also called for money for agricultural requirements, such as seed and fertilizer, to ensure an improved harvest next year.

This year's harvest was "the worst in possibly 50 years," he told South African radio.

The Red Cross expressed optimism that the new government would facilitate the work of non-governmental organizations.

"We're optimistic that yesterday's development (will allow) more assistance to get to the people," Matthew Cochrane, spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in southern Africa said.

The Red Cross plans this week to begin feeding around 260,000 people across Zimbabwe's 25 districts.

Zimbabwe has been in economic freefall since Mugabe gave the nod for thousands of white commercial farmers to be thrown off their land starting in 2000. (dpa)