Zimbabwe’s humanitarian crisis taking toll

The UN estimates that some 6 million people, half of Zimbabwe’s
population, could soon require food aid, and the deadly cholera
outbreak is spreading like wild fire, bringing along further threats to
Zimbabwe’s neighbours.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr Ban described the
humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe as "now desperate" and said it was
likely only worsen in the coming months if the country’s political
crisis continued.

"He is deeply concerned that nearly half of the total population of 12
million could require food assistance, and by reports that many
households are now cutting back the number of meals eaten each day,"
the statement said. 

The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has
also reported that the number of diagnosed cholera cases in Zimbabwe
has now reached almost 9,000, and includes at least 350 deaths as of
today – a rise of 1,600 cases and 53 deaths in just one day.

Mr Ban urged all parties in the political crisis to support and provide
humanitarian assistance and leave aside any political considerations.

Zimbabwe has endured months of political tensions after the disputed
presidential elections in March involving the incumbent Mr Mugabe and
the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. A power-sharing deal on the
formation of a new government was reached on 15 September, but talks
after talks have not been able to break the impasse on the
implementation of a power-sharing deal.

The UN this weekend also had noted the turning down of a delegation of
the "Group of Elders" – comprising former UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, former United States president Jimmy Carter and former
Mozambican first lady Graça Machel – who were refused entry to Zimbabwe
to assess the latest humanitarian situation there.

Mr Ban’s statement regretted the decision of the government "not to
cooperate with their timely, well-intended effort to assist the people
of Zimbabwe." He added that he hoped another mission can take place
soon, having in mind how rapidly the situation is deteriorating. 

The statement stressed the need for the Zimbabwean parties, who resumed
talks today in South Africa, to reach an agreement on a new government.

"The people of Zimbabwe cannot afford another failure by their
political leadership to reach a fair and workable agreement that would
allow Zimbabwe to tackle the formidable challenges ahead," Mr Ban said. 

OCHA has also raised concerns that Zimbabwe’s cholera outbreak is
spreading into other Southern African countries, with suspected cases
having been reported in Botswana and many confirmed cased in South
Africa.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is already working with officials
in Angola, South Africa and Mozambique to try to prevent the outbreak
from crossing their borders, but has said its biggest concern remains
the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, where most of the cases have been
reported.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by contaminated food or
water, and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on the government
of Zimbabwe to immediately tackle the country’s water, sanitation and
sewer infrastructure problems to halt the spread.

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