Back to Index

Zimbabwe: From Breadbasket to Basketcase
Refugees International
September 16, 2002

By Maureen Lynch and Ada Williams

http://www.refugeesinternational.org/cgi-bin/ri/bulletin?bc=00447

A tragedy is unfolding in Zimbabwe. The lives of Zimbabweans are being profoundly affected by the severe food crisis, land reform activities, high prevalence rates of HIV/AIDS, and government economic policies. The emergency conditions they now face may be exacerbated by the development of several unpredictable factors that have the potential to threaten regional stability. The government of Zimbabwe and the international community can act now to prevent further deterioration.

Refugees International (RI) has just returned from Zimbabwe where we learned first hand how people are suffering. Six million people are in desperate need of food aid to help them survive until the next main harvest. Many families have exhausted alternative means of income and food. It is nearly impossible for farmers to be agriculturally productive because of lack of food and the need to forage for immediate alternative sources of sustenance. Pointing to shallow irrigation trenches, one farmer in Masvingo said, "I can’t dig deeper because I am so hungry." An aid agency told RI, "One of our biggest concerns is availability and procurement of food. There is no food in the country."

With the government unable to supply sufficient food to its people through its Grain Marketing Board (GMB), the international community is attempting to provide assistance to cover the food deficit. The World Food Program’s (WFP) Emergency Operation is intended to cover 3.9 million people, but has not received enough resources to meet these needs. The UN Consolidated Appeal for food aid in Zimbabwe is currently funded at 44 percent. Further, government limitations prevent WFP from registering enough implementing partners to expand operations. Prospective implementing partners have difficulty registering and face other restrictions. Participating agencies have been threatened with being de-registered. One non-governmental organization told RI that it could not expand operations for "political and security reasons," leaving people without assistance.

It was reported to RI that people are being denied food for political reasons. In some areas food distributions are made based on political affiliation. There are accusations that rural district councils are being manipulated by political parties to include only selected beneficiaries. This issue is of major concern to WFP whose Executive Director has spoken with the Zimbabwean government about political interference in food distribution. One agency told RI, "We don’t want to fall in the trap of people being abused for food aid." To avoid shutting down their operations some are attempting to fight the politicization of food aid by allowing communities to identify the most vulnerable people.

The government’s land reform program has displaced a million or more people, forcing them to seek food and income through alternative means. The goal of land reform was to allocate farms previously held by commercial owners to the landless. In reality some of the targeted recipients do not become landowners, and there is not adequate support for people affected by the policy. Commercial farm owners are left without compensation and are responsible for paying their farm workers, and those now occupying the land do not have the necessary skills to be productive. Agencies attempting to help displaced farm workers are having difficulty trying to locate and assist them. Some farm workers have remained on farms, others have family ties to communal areas and go there, others have moved to urban areas or have tried to survive in the bush. In certain areas, squatter settlements have arisen. RI visited a dilapidated house where four farm worker families continued to look after the cattle on redistributed land. Their former boss continued to pay them a portion of their salaries. "We know that our job will end soon, and we are not sure what we are going to do. The government has told us to wait and we will get land later because there is no more land to give away now." While this issue has been high on the international community’s agenda for a long time, the response to date consists of sending one advisor to categorize and create a database of the displaced population.

Zimbabwe has one of the largest populations affected by HIV/AIDS, with prevalence rates of 25 percent. No community has been left unaffected, and the food shortage has only intensified the problems for those with AIDS. In reference to HIV/AIDS medical treatment, one villager said, "The most important thing is food. You can’t take drugs on an empty stomach." Loss of productivity in rural communities as a result of HIV/AIDS is a big problem because people are too sick to work, need care at home, are dying, and leave orphans who are too young to work the land. An estimated 500,000 children have lost at least one parent to the epidemic but there is no concrete policy on how best to care for the orphaned children. Farmers say, "We cannot get food to feed them."

In addition to the challenges already faced by Zimbabweans, there are several potential threats that could lead to widespread starvation and increased population movement. The sheer unpredictability of climatic conditions could cause further crop failure. Continued political violence and human rights violations can further destabilize the country. The plan for Zimbabwe’s acceptance of genetically modified food still needs to be worked out. An arranged 17,500 MT food swap that will be distributed as milled maize is not a long-term solution. And any change in governmental stance toward acceptance threatens future distribution. An element that could change the outlook for the better is an enhanced role for the private sector in food imports and distribution. Because of the shortage of grain, people still have a bit of cash, but there is no food to buy. Private sector imports of grain could help alleviate the shortage.

The international community has lost confidence in the government of Zimbabwe because of the latter’s inability to respond to the suffering of its citizens and indeed its contribution to this suffering. The strained relationship between international donors and the government means there is no support for the long-term development that could save Zimbabwe from further decline. In this unpredictable and difficult environment, agencies are preparing for a worsening crisis. Given the current food emergency and the threat of further instability in the country, deterioration is almost inevitable. Increasingly the probability exists that people will move to other countries to seek food as well as safety. Tragically, Zimbabwe once in a position to provide food and a safe haven to the rest of southern Africa, is now unable to feed itself and threatens the stability of the region.

Refugees International recommends that:

The Government of Zimbabwe

• Provide immediate support and durable resettlement solutions for displaced farm workers.
• Stop the politicization of food aid.
• Permit private sector grain imports to help bring more food into the country.
• Facilitate and expedite registration of non-governmental organizations.
• Support communities affected by HIV/AIDS and develop concrete health policies for orphans.

The U.S. Government

• Continue to negotiate alternatives to ensure people have food in the event of Zimbabwe’s non-acceptance of genetically modified food.

International Donors

• Immediately develop and support a comprehensive program for displaced farm workers that include durable resettlement and integration solutions.
• Fully resource the UN Consolidated Appeal for the southern Africa region.
  

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