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UNICEF Humanitarian Action Report 2007: Zimbabwe
United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)
January 26, 2007

http://www.unicef.org/har07/index_37546.htm

Critical issues for children
Zimbabwe is simultaneously facing acute humanitarian needs due to serious food insecurity, cholera outbreaks and forced displacement, as well as protracted, chronic vulnerabilities stemming from inadequate access to basic social services, lack of agricultural inputs and disrupted livelihoods. According to recent studies, 29.4 per cent of under-five children are stunted and life expectancy has dropped from 61 to 34 years between the early 1990s and 2005. Adult HIV prevalence stands at 20.1 per cent and, of the 1.4 million orphans, 75 per cent have been orphaned by AIDS. The health sector has deteriorated due to the economic situation: maternal mortality has increased from 283 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1995 to 1,100 deaths per 100,000 in 2004, and vaccination coverage has dropped from 21 per cent in 1999 to 12 per cent in 2006.

With 24 per cent of communal water supply facilities not functioning, some 2.5 million people face a daily shortage of safe water. Between end-2005 and mid-2006, 1,034 cholera cases and 70 deaths were reported, affecting 27 rural districts and Harare city. The education system has been eroded by deteriorating infrastructure, reduced public expenditure and high attrition of human resources. School enrolment ratios are low, attendance and completion ratios declining, and learning spaces and teaching/learning materials scarce.

Planned Humanitarian Action for 2007

Health and nutrition: Reaching some 2 million children and women, UNICEF will support immunization by procuring vaccines, injection supplies, cold-chain equipment and other related supplies, as well as vitamin A supplementation; distribute 100,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets; train 200 community health workers on key childcare; support prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; strengthen linkages between community-based nutrition care programmes and HIV services; train 100 health workers and support the printing of manuals and guidelines on paediatric AIDS; support the implementation of community-based nutrition care; enhance community-level nutrition education linked to HIV/OVC/garden programmes; support child health and nutritional status surveillance.

Water and environmental sanitation: UNICEF will strengthen the coordination of the water and environmental sanitation (WES) humanitarian response; improve information management/sharing; prevent/control WES-related epidemics; rehabilitate 700 water points and drill 30 new boreholes; procure water treatment chemicals for urban areas and treat water in communities without access to safe water in emergencies; construct 1,500 latrines for mobile/vulnerable populations and schools; promote sustainable community management of WES facilities; develop institutional capacity for effective response in emergencies.

Education: Benefiting 65,000 children, UNICEF will rehabilitate 50 satellite schools with teaching and learning materials; provide cash grants for orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC); train 720 parents in quality early child-care practices; train 1,500 teachers in gender, HIV/AIDS and psychosocial support; equip OVC/youths with life, vocational and technical skills.

Child protection: Targeting 1.5 million children and women, UNICEF will undertake advocacy/social mobilization for the implementation of the new Domestic Violence Act; develop the capacity of police/judiciary to ensure victim-friendly services; provide training on the Inter-Agency Standing Committee's Code of Conduct for social workers; remove children from worst labour conditions; reduce risk of family separation during emergencies; provide counselling, family tracing/assessment, and reunification services; establish/strengthen child protection committees at district levels; provide community-based psychosocial support interventions for internally displaced persons.

HIV/AIDS: UNICEF will train 4,000 home-based care (HBC) volunteers and young people; coordinate/map nationwide HBC and counselling services; procure/distribute 2,000 HBC kits; implement district action plans to address underlying causes of HIV infection among vulnerable girls; disseminate 80,000 information, education and communication materials on HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence; procure/distribute 500 post-rape kits.

* The total includes a maximum recovery rate of 7 per cent. The actual recovery rate on contributions will be calculated in accordance with UNICEF Executive Board Decision 2006/7 dated 9 June 2006.

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