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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Post-election violence 2008 - Index of articles & images
Government suspension of NGO field operations - Index of articles
Zimbabwe
must lift suspension of humanitarian aid
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)
June 10, 2008
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) today urged the government of
Zimbabwe to end its ban,
issued last Friday, on humanitarian work. The ban will prevent many
of the country's 1.3 million People with AIDS from receiving badly
needed AIDS medications and home-based care. The ban will also prevent
some 314,000 people from receiving food under the World Food Program,
possibly triggering widespread famine.
PHR also called
for an independent inquiry into reports
that Zimbabwe's Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr. David
Parirenyatwa, who is planning to participate in the United Nations
General Assembly 2008 High Level Meeting on AIDS to take place June
11-12 in New York, has been directly engaged in threats of assault
and murder to individuals if they do not vote for ZANU-PF candidate
and incumbent Robert Mugabe in the presidential run-off election.
According to an affidavit
made before a commissioner of oaths, on April 10, 2008, Dr. Parirenyatwa,
came to the town of Murewa for a rally on behalf of ZANU-PF and,
brandishing a gun, threatened members of the opposition Movement
for Democratic Change with death if they voted for MDC. Residents
of Murewa, which despite electing Dr. Parirenyatwa to Parliament,
has also shown strong support for the MDC, were forced by armed
militias affiliated with ZANU-PF to attend the rally, on pain of
beating or arrest. According to other reports, Dr. Parirenyatwa
also broke up meetings of the MDC with threats of violence.
Dr. Parirenyatwa has
denied involvement in the incident, claiming to be against use of
violence in politics. SW Radio Africa (London), on June 2, however,
reported on another incident in which Dr. Parirenyatwa was allegedly
involved in assaults on opposition members in late May or early
June that led to the deaths of two individuals who were severely
beaten.
"Such serious allegations
of violence directed by a government official against people who
exercise their rights of free expression and voting, much less one
charged to protect health and well being of the country's citizens,
need to be investigated," said Frank Donaghue, CEO of Physicians
for Human Rights.
PHR urged states participating
in the High Level Meeting and the media to ask questions about the
suspension of humanitarian aid and also the political violence in
Zimbabwe, including actions by officials of the government and the
ZANU-PF party to attack and intimidate its opponents in the run-up
to the election.
The allegations take
place as the government of Zimbabwe and the ZANU-PF party has been
engaged in violence and intimidation against political opponents
that has led to killings of dozens of people and the infliction
of severe injuries among thousands.
*Physicians
for Human Rights (PHR) mobilizes the health professions to advance
the health and dignity of all people by protecting human rights.
As a founding member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines,
PHR shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.
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