CERF allocates $5 million for protracted relief for vulnerable groups in Zimbabwe

A woman and her malnourished child in Zimbabwe  [Photo: UNICEF]

25 November 2008: Zimbabwe continues to face major economic and humanitarian challenges. The crisis in the country is rapidly worsening due to poor harvests, as well as deteriorating health, water and sanitation services, and politically-motivated violence which lead to displacements, destruction of property and loss of lives. The effects of soaring global food prices combined with hyperinflation have added to the misery.

CERF has provided $5 million in emergency funding to the World Food Programme (WFP) for the coming months. WFP aims to assist an estimated 3 million people up to December and increase assistance to an estimated 4 million people for the first quarter of 2009, the peak hunger period.

The funding will address the immediate food requirements of nearly 800,000 beneficiaries threatened with malnutrition, including 500,000 children. With the deepening nature of food insecurity and rapid reduction of household food stocks, food assistance will play a critical role in life-saving support to vulnerable households.

[Last update: 31 December 2008]

CERF allocates $1.6 million to support the vulnerable people in Zimbabwe

24 October 2008: Zimbabwe continues to face major economic and humanitarian challenges as a result of adverse weather conditions but worsened by a protracted political situation. The situation in Zimbabwe has been further compounded by another year of poor agricultural crops, deteriorating health, water and sanitation services, and politically motivated violence leading to displacements, destruction of property and loss of lives. The effects of soaring global food prices have been compounded with Zimbabwe's inflation rate, one of the highest in the world.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is meeting the health needs of over 300,000 chronically ill people through nutrition support for one month. WFP is also promoting universal access to the care and treatment of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and TB.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is providing seed, fertiliser and chemicals to 30,000 vulnerable households to increase food security.

[Last update: 24 November 2008]

CERF allocates $407,000 to provide support in response to acute malnutrition in Zimbabwe

A woman drawing water in rural Burkina Faso  [Photo: UN]

12 September 2008: Refugees from Burundi, DRC and Rwanda who fled from their country for fear of persecution, war, or ethnic conflicts left with nothing and depend heavily on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) protection and assistance for their well-being.  CERF has allocated $107,000 to provide food and protection assistance to 3,500 asylum seekers and refugees between September and December 2008.

To address severe acute malnutrition and rehabilitate severely malnourished children, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is providing therapeutic food to 9,000 children

  

[Last update: 24 November 2008]

7 March 2008: Between January and February 2008, the country reported 124 cases of cholera and 13 deaths (CFR-10.5%).  In addition, there were 4 diarrhea outbreaks in the cities of Bulawayo, Harare, Kadoma and Kwekwe, and in Gokwe North and South rural districts between May 2007 and February 2008, with a total of more than 10,000 cases and 67 deaths reported. The major factors associated with the outbreaks were poor water supply, sanitation and hygiene.  The humanitarian crisis situation was further exacerbated by rapidly deteriorating infrastructure and increasing political instability.

In response, CERF allocated $4.5 million through its first-round underfunded emergencies window to strengthen response to disease outbreaks, enhance telecommunications services to the humanitarian community, provide assistance to mobile and vulnerable populations (MVPs),  address emergency sexual and reproductive health needs of MVPs, supply water and sanitation services, and launch immunization programmes. 

Zimbabwe 2007