Back to Index

Statement by Ambassador Tony Hall U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies for food & agriculture
Ambassador Tony Hall
August 13, 2005

Harare, Zimbabwe - The purpose of my trip was to observe the humanitarian and food security situation in Zimbabwe. I came to Zimbabwe three years ago. In fact, it was the first trip I made as Ambassador to the UN Agencies.

I have deep concerns about the ability of Zimbabweans to feed themselves. I remember when this country was a breadbasket of Southern Africa. Today, the breadbasket is empty, thanks to counterproductive land reform policies and a drought that has made the situation even worse.

I came here not just to see the situation first hand. I also wanted to bring a message to the people of Zimbabwe. The United States is ready to help. In fact we have provided over $300 million in food assistance to Zimbabwe since 2002.

Since my arrival on Thursday, I have been briefed by UN officials and representatives from the NGO community and civil society. I have spoken with representatives from the donor nations. Yesterday morning, I visited Hatcliff farm, where I had the chance to speak to a few of the 700,000 people who were impacted by Operation Restore Order.

There I had several people come up to me and ask me for blankets and food. People were living with minimal shelter. It's cold at night. They don't have enough to keep themselves warm. They are hungry and their children are hungry.

This tragedy was entirely avoidable. The people originally living at Hatcliff were legal residents, thanks to a bilateral agreement between the World Bank, the United States Agency for International Development and the Zimbabwean government that gave residents valid leases. There were thousands of people living at Hatcliff just a few months ago. The government has allowed them to return, but there are many families that have still not been reunited or returned to their former homes.

One gentleman spoke to us about the night he was evicted from his home. The police arrived with no notice, driving him and others out with dogs. He was forced to sleep outside for a week during the coldest time of the winter. These people were already among the country's most vulnerable. Now they are just trying to get through to the next day. One gentleman called it "survival mode."

I was told that relief for needy people is being held up by bureaucratic paperwork. For example, I have heard that the U.S. NGOs have 10,000 tons of food aid in Durban bottled up, waiting for import licenses. Even inside this country I've heard that there are problems with distribution. I have been told that by an NGO that 15,000 tons of aid is inside Zimbabwe, but permission to distribute has not been granted.

This morning, my delegation tried to see some people who were displaced by Operation Restore Order and now living at Hopely Farm, just outside Harare. There were a group of men waiting for work and women waiting for an IOM food distribution. But that's all I saw. Hopely, which is being run by the military, was off access for the delegation. We were told that we did not come with the proper paperwork. This is just the sort of bureaucracy that the UN Special Envoy spoke out against.

I was told in a hushed tone that the Government doesn't want me to see this place because old people are dying. We can't address the suffering of these people if we can't see them and assess their needs.

I spoke to Minister Goche about many of my concerns. I asked him about his country's plan to import an estimated 1.2 million tons of grain to make up for the harvest shortfall. I told him I met people at Hatcliff who are hungry. I also asked about bureaucratic problems that were raised by some of the NGOs. The hungry season is ahead of us, and I told Minister Goche I was worried that the situation may get worse.

The Minister acknowledged there are problems. He discussed the difficulties in importing, and distribution delays due to the gas supply shortage. But he said the Government is coping and it welcomes support as long as it complements domestic efforts.

I asked, "So you think people are in pretty good shape here?" He said yes. I made clear that if the situation deteriorates we're prepared to help. On Friday afternoon we traveled to the city of Mutare, where World Food Program and Africare were distributing rations to more than 3,000 home-based beneficiaries, orphans and vulnerable children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. This is a successful pilot program that will be replicated in other parts of the country. I'd like to take a moment to thank the World Food Program, Africare and the many other NGOs working under such difficult conditions. Thanks for your commitment.

I was fortunate to spend some time with a few beneficiaries in Mutare. I met a widow and her eight-year old daughter who were receiving food rations. She had harvested less than a bucket of grain because of the drought. I also met a 15-year-old boy taking care of three sisters and a brother. He ate porridge that day thanks to US-donated food through the WFP-Africare program.

We also traveled to some small communal farming plots that are growing robust vegetables thanks to the Food and Agriculture Organization. About 300 families who have been affected or infected by HIV/AIDS are benefiting from simple drip irrigation kits. This is really important for people who are chronically ill because the drip system is designed so it doesn't require a lot of muscle.

As the U.S. Ambassador to the World Food Program I am pleased to announce a new injection of funds that will help not only Zimbabweans but all of southern Africa. The United States is donating $US 51.8 million, or 73,500 metric tons of food assistance through the World Food Program that will feed between 5 and 6 million people for one month in the countries of Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These countries desperately need the help of the donor community and I am urging my donor partners to act.

Natural and man-made hardships have afflicted millions of Zimbabweans. Despite our differences with the government, the United States will stand by the people of Zimbabwe, because there is no place for politics when it comes to feeding hungry people.

Contact information:
Carla Benini,
Public Affairs Officer,
Phone: +39-06-4674-3521,
E-mail: beninica@state.gov

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP