| |
Back to Index
Zimbabwe
Humanitarian Situation Report
The UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator's Bi-Monthly Report
United Nations
Relief & Recovery Unit Harare
September
03, 2002
Mission
to Zimbabwe of UN Special Envoy for Humanitarian Needs in Southern
Africa
The
first mission of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Southern
Africa, Mr. James Morris, will review the humanitarian situation
in the region, providing recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness
of response efforts and raise awareness among the international
community to mobilize resources and support. The Special Envoy will
be in Zimbabwe from 4 to 7 September 2002. He will be accompanied
by senior officials from OCHA (Ms Carolyn McAskie, Dep. Relief Co-ordinator),
WFP (Ms Judith Lewis, Co-ordinator for the Crisis in Southern Africa),
UNICEF (Ms Olivia Yambi, Sr. Nutrition Adviser), WHO (Dr. David
Okello, Swaziland Country Rep.), FAO (Mr. Graham Farmer, Sr, Regional
Emergency Co-ordinator for Southern Africa) and SADC (Ms Margaret
Nyirenda, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Supervisor).
WHO
Director General speaks out on humanitarian crisis in southern Africa
Health
Ministers from ten southern African countries and senior officials
of WHO and UNICEF met from 26 to 28 August to examine the response
of the health sector to the acute and large-scale humanitarian crisis
facing the region. At the conference WHO Director General Dr Gro
Harlem Bruntland expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis
in southern Africa, which has affected over 14 million people. She
noted that the solution to famine is food supplies, which needs
to be combined with adequate health services.
UNICEF
Executive Director, Carol Bellamy stressed the following issues
at the conference:
- HIV/AIDS
needs to be prioritised more as a response to the crisis, including
Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission;
- There is
need for a multi-sectoral response which includes other areas
than health, such as access to safe drinking water, hygiene, education
and child protection.
- Community
initiatives should be included in the response, such as Surveillance
and Integration of Mother and Childhood Illnesses (IMCI).
- The health
response should be wider to include areas such as provision of
bednets against malaria, immunization to prevent measles and reduction
of maternal mortality.
- Within the
context of nutrition, the chronic aspect of malnutrition needs
to be highlighted and focused upon since stunting is increasing.
UN
releases statement on GM foods
The
United Nations released a statement regarding the use of genetically
modified (GM) foods as food aid. FAO, WHO and WFP concur that these
foods are fully certified as safe for human consumption. While there
are no existing international agreements yet in force with regard
to trade in food, or food aid that deal specifically with food containing
GMO, the UN policy is that the decision with regard to the acceptance
of GM commodities rests with the recipient countries. However, the
UN believes that in the current crisis, governments in southern
Africa must consider carefully the severe and immediate consequences
of limiting the food aid available for millions so desperately in
need.
The UN Humanitarian
Co-ordinator in Zimbabwe, is in the process of preparing for a scientific
conference on GMO. The date has been moved further to the end of
September to allow for adequate notification to the prospective
key presenters as it is the desire of the conference organisers
that this should be an unfettered.
Food
imports moving slowly
Food
imports by both Government and Humanitarian Organizations continue
to be slow at a time when majority of the rural households have
run out of their 2001/2002 harvest. Communities are becoming more
and more dependent on the market, especially GMB, for food. 382,965MT
of maize were imported into the country from all sources during
April to mid-August 2002 (GMB – 334,577MT, WFP – 38,575MT, direct
NGO – 9,666MT). As at mid-August, after considering harvests, landed
food aid and commercial imports, the import gap is estimated at
1.1 million MT. The maize currently in the country is expected to
run out during the second half of September 2002, unless the planned
maize imports are quickly moved into the country.
While a concerted
effort to import maize has been made, there are no known plans to
import wheat, despite predictions that wheat stocks may be running
out by the end of August 2002. Of particular concern are the current
bread shortages in the country and that this season’s harvest will
not be available on the market until October 2002. The wheat shortage
would have an impact on food security as some households not able
to get maize or maize meal had been substituting bread for the staple
maize dish.
Vulnerable
population in need of food aid set to rise
The
first in a series of rolling assessments led by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability
Assessment Committee (VAC) is complete. The final report will be
released shortly by the VAC.
Preliminary
indicators show that GMB food deliveries have been well below requirements.
In some communities, months pass between GMB distributions. Nationally,
even people with money are experiencing major food shortages because
maize is not available. Some people are traveling over seventy kilometers
and waiting for days in queues at GMB depots. Former commercial
farm workers are particularly hard-hit with few prospects of securing
land or inputs in time for the next planting season.
The next rolling
assessment is planned for December 2002.
Implementation
of the Appeal
WFP
has imported 57,500 MT of food of food since February 2002. Of this
total, 33,500 MT has been distributed to over 600,000 beneficiaries.
Registration and verification exercises to increase the number of
beneficiaries under the regional EMOP intensified over the reporting
period. New beneficiary registers are under compilation in 19 districts.
As part of its
programme to increase the numbers of beneficiaries of its food assistance,
WFP has received approval from the government to engage Helpage
and Plan International as additional implementing partners for its
emergency operation. This brings to six the number of WFP’s partner
NGOs. The others are World Vision, Care, Christian Care and ORAP.
UNICEF
organizes training on Child Protection
From
28 - 29th August, a training of trainers was organised
by UNICEF for representatives from the Ministries of Health and
Child Welfare, Public Works and Social Welfare, Education, Culture
and Sport, UN agencies and NGOs on child abuse and sexual exploitation.
The training was part of a regional initiative undertaken by ESARO
arising from a commitment made in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee
on Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation, which was established in
March 2002. The outcome of the training workshop was:
- all representatives
present have committed their organizations to incorporate the
six principles in their organizations and train staff related
to these principles;
- further training
will be conducted at the decentralised level for UN and NGO field
staff, representatives from ministry departments and for persons
working in the operative/ logistics part of the relief response
such as truck drivers, and commercial operators.
- UNICEF committed
itself to further support the decentralised training with technical
and financial assistance and would ensure to target also the police,
teachers and children and young people themselves.
- Monitoring
and reporting is an area that needs further attention. It should
be further established into more child and gender friendly systems,
for example child- and gender friendly police and courts.
- Further follow
up will be that UNICEF will provide the final training package
on child abuse and sexual exploitation adapted versus the Zimbabwean
context. This will be provided to all agencies present and to
the organization that intend to provide decentralised trainings.
UNICEF will continue to host the Child Protection Working Group
on a monthly basis.
Preparations
for the 2002/2003 agricultural season
Maize:
Seed
maize is available in the country in sufficient quantities but not
yet available in retail outlets. Government is discussing modalities
with the seed houses that will allow the seed houses to realize
adequate returns on their business. Possible options are that the
seed houses be allowed to export some of their excess seed, and
government to pay cash up front for their input scheme.
Fertilizers:
Government
has granted fertilizer companies an allocation of US$2.0 million
for importation of raw materials for ammonium nitrate (AN) fertilizer.
Tillage programme:
Capacity
at DDF is far short of the requirements. Only 50% of the tractor
fleet is operational. Most Model A1 farmers do not have animal draught
power, and in some provinces foot and mouth disease has incapacitated
most of the oxen used in the communal areas. A2 model uptake has
been low and, hence, land preparation is not proceeding rapidly.
Concerted efforts
by relevant stakeholders is urgently required to improve the tillage
programme since the season is fast running out for land preparations,
especially in the agro-ecological regions I, II and III, which have
heavy red and black soils that could be difficult to work in once
the rains have set in.
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
|
