Zimbabwe hunger crisis grows and more schools shut down

Ms. Catherine Braggs, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), briefed reporters on the desperate humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe.  “The situation is acute and is expected to worsen towards the end of the year.”  She also said extreme food insecurity and an outbreak of cholera –which has killed 366 and infected 9,000 people countrywide has prompted an immediate UN call for action.

Many communities have now depleted their ability to provide clean water due to the collapse of the health and sanitation system. For a country that used to have a 90 percent record on school attendance– now there is little or no attendance in schools due to costs for transport and school fees. Currently, nine out of every 45 schools are closed and school attendance is below 50 percent countrywide –at 42 percent.

The UN has appealed for $100 million, the largest amount ever requested to assist 3 million people in desperate need of aid.

The alarming degradation of Zimbabwe’s economy and rise in social vulnerability are cited as causal factors.  United Nations officials had hoped that further deterioration of the humanitarian situation could be averted if, “following the initial political agreement reached between the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Population Front (ZANU-PF) and the Movement for Democratic Change in September, a government of unity can be created.” However, it appears these agreements have not prevented the growing humanitarian crisis.

Through the office of humanitarian coordination, Ms. Braggs says the main challenge is dealing with the increasingly urgent humanitarian needs of millions of vulnerable Zimbabweans. In the last several weeks, there has also been a vast closure of hospitals and a rapid drain of health care workers.

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download