Humanitarian Assistance

USAID has contributed nearly $600 million to humanitarian operations in Zimbabwe since 2002, when conditions worsened in Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the government-sanctioned seizure of commercial farms, and compounded by a regional drought. Agricultural production plummeted and tens of thousands of newly-unemployed farm workers were displaced. While other countries in the region recovered from the drought, Zimbabwe's economy continued to contract and inflation soared under destructive government policies. The crisis was exacerbated by the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. In 2005, undertaking draconian measures designed to eliminate informal trade and housing, the government displaced and/or destroyed livelihoods of 700,000 people through Operation Murambatsvina (Throw Out the Trash).

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates, Zimbabwe's 2007 maize harvest is worse than the 2006 crop, due to economic mismanagement and uneven rainfall. The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects only half of the country's 1.4 million metric ton food requirement to be met this year. Imports must make up the difference; however, it is highly unlikely that the Government of Zimbabwe can purchase sufficient commodities because of the lack of hard currency, the regional maize scarcity, and the rising price of maize globally.

Food access and availability remain difficult for Zimbabweans as basic food and non-food necessities become increasingly scarce or non-existent in the market, particularly in urban areas. Most staple foods can be found only in the informal market at prices far beyond levels most people can afford. As a result of the poor October 2006 to March 2007 agricultural season, families in the most drought-affected areas of western and southern Zimbabwe have depleted household food stocks and limited access to the markets due to high staple food prices, according to USAID's Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). The economic and humanitarian crisis has led to increased migration both within Zimbabwe as well as into neighboring countries.

The Government of Zimbabwe order in June 2007 forcing manufacturers and retailers to reduce the price of goods by 50 percent at a time of hyperinflation precipitated widespread shortages of staple foods and basic commodities. Factories halted production of basic goods and services, and retailers have been unable to restock items because the artificially low prices have eroded profit margins and made operations financially unviable. Bowing to domestic pressure, the Government of Zimbabwe has begun to ease price controls, but not in line with the skyrocketing rate of inflation. Consequently, the price increases have not revived production to its previous level.

In FY 2007, through the Office of Food for Peace (FFP) and the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), USAID provided nearly $170 million in food assistance and more than $5 million for programs related to agriculture and food security, shelter, livelihoods, relief commodities, humanitarian coordination and information management, and water, sanitation, and hygiene. In October 2007, the U.S. Charge d'Affaires reissued two disaster declarations for Zimbabwe due to the ongoing complex emergency and to drought/food insecurity. This will allow further emergency funds to support local humanitarian needs.

A joint United Nations Food and Agriculture Office and World Food Program (WFP) Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission (CFSAM) report estimated that Zimbabwe's 2006/2007 crop production left between one-third and one-half of the national food requirement unmet. Although the Government continues to import maize, the capacity of the Government of Zimbabwe's Grain Marketing Board - which has a monopoly on the purchase and marketing of maize - to transport and distribute available cereals remains a concern due to ongoing foreign currency and fuel deficits and deteriorating transportation infrastructure.

As a result of the critical cereal shortages and distribution difficulties, maize prices are extremely high, limiting household market access. Prices are highest in urban areas and in the provinces of Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North where cereal shortages are most severe. Most households in drought-affected areas have exhausted food reserves and are employing negative coping strategies, including poor food diversity, decreased number of meals per day, and migration to South Africa and other neighboring countries.

The CFSAM report estimates that the number of Zimbabweans in need of food assistance will peak at 4.1 million - more than a third of Zimbabwe's estimated total population - at the height of the hunger season between January and March 2008. WFP launched an appeal in August for $118 million to provide food assistance to 3.3 million people until the next harvest in April 2008.

In FY 2007, to help support the food insecure Zimbabweans until the 2008 harvest, USAID/FFP provided 175,460 MT of P.L. 480 Title II emergency food assistance, valued at nearly $170 million, through WFP (88,920 MT) and C-SAFE (86,540 MT), the Consortium for Southern Africa Food Security Emergency. The food commodities include cereals, pulses, and vegetable oil. This tonnage is sufficient to feed more than 2 million people for six months.

In addition, USAID/OFDA has worked through multiple NGOs to provide agriculture and food security assistance. The programs aim to improve the food security of more than 63,000 drought-affected individuals through the construction and rehabilitation of water catchment structures, training on conservation farming, improvement of livestock health, and the establishment of goat production for income generation. Prime Implementing Partners: C-SAFE

A USAID team, including USAID/OFDA and USAID/FFP representatives, traveled to the cities of Harare and Mutare in August 2007 to assess humanitarian conditions and to monitor programs. The team found that Operation Murambatsvina and more recent evictions had generated widespread displacement and increased Zimbabweans' vulnerability. Shelter, livelihood generation, and emergency relief supplies remain important humanitarian needs.

To address the needs of vulnerable populations, USAID/OFDA has supported a multi-donor, multi-sectoral program that enhances food distribution and provides basic household commodities and emergency relief supplies to families displaced in urban and rural areas. In addition, USAID/OFDA, together with other international donors, supports a consortium of seven NGOs to provide livelihood support, improve economic capacity, and reduce food insecurity for 12,000 urban and peri-urban households in five provinces. Prime Implementing Partners: Joint Initiative NGO Consortium

Water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions remain a critical challenge throughout Zimbabwe, particularly in Bulawayo, the country's second largest city. Bulawayo's one million residents have faced increasing water shortages since April 2007, largely due to drought and problems maintaining necessary infrastructure. City authorities now rotate water supply to different neighborhoods, giving homes approximately one day of water per week. Bulawayo authorities reported that the city is only pumping 69,000 cubic meters of water per day, compared to an estimated need of 150,000 cubic meters. City authorities have decommissioned four of the city's water dams since July due to insufficient water, leaving only one dam and some boreholes throughout the city to supply residents. As water rationing becomes more severe, Bulawayo's residents are increasingly resorting to unprotected wells and other unsafe sources to obtain water.

Many Harare residents are also experiencing water shortages due to aging infrastructure, lack of foreign currency to import spare parts, fuel shortages, and poor management from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), which is responsible for the provision of water and sewerage services. Sanitation conditions are deteriorating as soap and other basic hygiene supplies become luxury items for poor Zimbabweans. Reduced access to safe water and adequate sanitation, coupled with the deterioration of the public health care system, makes Zimbabweans susceptible to water-related diseases. Outbreaks of diarrhea and dysentery are increasing due to persistent water shortages and failing sewer systems.

USAID/OFDA is supporting programs to reduce vulnerability to water and sanitation related diseases for more than 270,000 people in Bulawayo, Harare, and drought-affected districts in Midlands Province. The program is providing basic hygiene items and conducting public health promotion activities. As part of multi-sectoral initiatives, USAID/OFDA is also supporting increased access to potable water and sanitation facilities and the management of solid waste disposal for vulnerable populations throughout the country. Prime Implementing Partners: Oxfam and the International Organization for Migration

USAID/OFDA contributed $100,000 in FY 2007 to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to encourage better coordination of needs assessments, strategic targeting, and program implementation among donors and humanitarian agencies in Zimbabwe.

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