CERF allocates $7.8 million for humanitarian assistance in reponse to a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe

Health system in crisis in Zimbabwe  [Photo: WHO]

29 January 2009:  The number of cholera cases in Zimbabwe has surpassed the World Health Organization's (WHO) worst-case scenario figure of 60,000.  The disease has claimed the lives of 3,095 people as of 28 January.  CERF has allocated nearly $7.9 million for Zimbabwe in an effort to bolster the fight against the spread of the disease.  

Further, concern is mounting that, with more rainfall forecast in the coming weeks, floods could complicate efforts to control the disease because more water sources could be contaminated.  The cholera epidemic is ravaging the country at a time of wider humanitarian crisis.  Zimbabwe has entered its peak hunger period (January to March) with almost seven million people, more than half the country's population, relying on food aid.  

The WHO, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and the World Food Programme (WFP), will deploy 12 more staff to each of Zimbabwe's provinces and bolster disease monitoring, including repairing and installing better communications equipment.  WFP will provide logistical support for the anti-cholera effort.  The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will purchase essential medicines and water and sanitation supplies and create an incentive package for health workers to return to their posts. 

[Last update: 30 January 2009]

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22 July 2009: The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), John Holmes, has allocated some $ 9 million to boost the humanitarian response in Zimbabwe.

Humanitarian actors in Zimbabwe will receive $ 9 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) through the most recent underfunded emergencies round. With this allocation, Zimbabwe becomes the highest recipient of CERF funding in 2009. This is the third CERF allocation for Zimbabwe this year as approximately $ 26.9 million has been allocated to humanitarian actors to carry out and continue essential emergency operations. The CERF funds will be apportioned by the United Nations Resident Coordinator to priority life-saving programmes, as identified by United Nations humanitarian agencies, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and their NGO partners. 

On 30 January, CERF allocated some $ 7.8 million to help the Zimbabwean authorities and United Nations agencies to implement a number of urgently-needed programmes to combat cholera. UN agencies and their humanitarian partners have requested a total of $ 718 million to support those in need in Zimbabwe in 2009, but to date, only 47 percent of the appeal is funded.

The overall humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe remains acute. An estimated 6 million Zimbabweans depended on food aid during the first quarter of 2009. Action is urgently required to save household agricultural production in 2009, and mitigate the impacts of the lost season in 2008, when seeds and fertilizers were not secured by most farming households. The infrastructure for delivering basic social services is seriously affected, resulting in unprecedented levels of disease incidence and prevalence throughout the country. The education sector is equally affected. High vulnerability levels, coupled with one of the world's highest HIV infection rates of 15.6%, deepen the population's vulnerability. World record hyperinflation and a collapsing banking system pose major challenges to humanitarian operations, with most agencies affected by the lack of cash and inability to access foreign currency.


8 April 2009: The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe has continued to deteriorate over the last decade because of complex political, social and economic factors.  The most acute humanitarian needs include food assistance for approximately 7 million people.  Adding to this crisis, a cholera outbreak has been raging for several months and has proved difficult to contain. To date, more than 85,000 cases have been reported with 3,975 deaths across the country.

For the second-round underfunded emergency, more than 1.8 million people, including 264,000 children under age 5, will benefit from an $8.2 million CERF allocation  to support humanitarian agencies working in Zimbabwe.

In spite of the positive socio-economic developments in Zimbabwe in 2009, the humanitarian situation remains grave and needs are acute. The effects of the economic collapse of 2008 the economy and of basic social service infrastructure continue while the gains made through humanitarian support have not been sustainable. The broader population remains vulnerable and has benefited marginally from the changes brought by the new dispensation. Even with the marked reduction in inflation rates, the standard family basket still remains out of reach of most families in both urban and rural areas. Humanitarian funding levels remain low, with the CAP only 53% funded as of late September 2009.

The World Food Programme (WFP) will use $824,000 of the CERF allocation to provide emergency food aid to an estimated 2.8 million food insecure people.  The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will use $2.5 million from CERF to carry out emergency repairs of water and sanitations system for 213,500 people in urban areas hit by cholera and other disease outbreaks.  $1.4 million will be used to treat 82,000 acutely malnourished children under age 5 and 22,000 pregnant or lactating women in 11 highly food insecure districts and among IDPs.  UNICEF will also use $439,000 to provide 50,000 mothers and 50,000 newborn babies with life saving interventions and $200,000 to provide psychosocial and other essential support for children affected by violence.  $935,000 has been allocated to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for emergency obstretic and neonatal care for  50,000 pregnant women and newborn.  Another $290,000 has been allocated for protecting and promoting sexual and reproductive health rights in vulnerable communities. $740,000 will be used by the International Organization of Migration (IOM) to provide urgent support to 25,000 orphaned and vulnerable children in displaced communities and the renovation of water and sanitation facilities in school.  IOM will also use $139,000 to address protection needs of the most vulnerable groups in mobile and vulnerable communities.  IOM and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will use $410,000 and $206,000, respectively, to ensure provision of emergency life-saving material and legal assistance for 17,854 IDPs.

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