FY09 RENEWAL OF DISASTER DECLARATION IN ZIMBABWE FOR

UNCLAS HARARE 000904 SIPDIS AIDAC AFR/SA FOR LOKEN, DOBBINS, HIRSCH, HARMON OFDA/W for KLUU, ACONVERY, LMTHOMAS, TDENYSENKO FFP/W for JBORNS, ASINK, LPETERSEN PRETORIA for HHALE, PDISKIN, SMCNIVEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR PREL PHUM ZI SUBJECT: FY09 RENEWAL OF DISASTER DECLARATION IN ZIMBABWE FOR COMPLEX EMERGENCY REF: A) HARARE 0899 B) 06 HARARE 01230 C) 07 HARARE 00510 D) 07 HARARE 00930 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe is deteriorating at a more accelerated pace than last year. Continued Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) economic mismanagement, counter-productive government policies, and corruption have resulted in a rapidly collapsing economy, and growing impoverishment of a large segment of the population. The current complex humanitarian crisis has been compounded by political violence connected with this year's disputed elections and an acute shortage of cereals and other staple foods in country resulting in an estimated 50 percent of the population in need of food aid over the next eight months. At the beginning of FY08, Post issued a re-declaration of disaster for the complex emergency and drought. This cable serves to renew the disaster declaration for the complex emergency for FY09 as the economic and food security situations show no signs of improving in the near future even if there is a political settlement. Currently, the political stalemate resulting from contested elections leaves Zimbabwe with a government that can barely function and an increasingly frustrated populace. While substantial food aid and other humanitarian assistance were provided in FY08, continued humanitarian assistance from USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) will be required in FY09 to meet critical humanitarian needs of both urban and rural populations. In FY08, USAID/OFDA provided more than USD 7 million in humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe. END SUMMARY. -------------- Humanitarian Crisis Background -------------- ¶2. Conditions for most Zimbabweans have gone from bad to worse throughout FY08, making day-to-day survival even more difficult than it was a year ago (Ref D). Following eight consecutive years of economic decline, which has been characterized by hyperinflation (now more than 11 million percent) and high unemployment rates, Zimbabwe is increasingly unable to maintain the infrastructure necessary for agricultural production, water and sanitation services, and electricity. Basic items such as soap, sugar, maize meal, bread, cooking oil, and meat can only be purchased on the black market at prices far beyond the reach of most Zimbabweans. In many areas of the country, these basic items are simply unavailable. Increasingly, venders are demanding hard currency as the Zimbabwe dollar loses its value within hours. Following the March 29 presidential and legislative elections in Zimbabwe, heightened political tension led to general insecurity and significant violence perpetrated on the most part by ruling party ZANU-PF forces. The instability and attacks on individuals perceived to be opposition MDC supporters created new displacement and increased humanitarian needs, further eroding livelihoods and resulting in loss of housing, crops and livestock. The June 4, 2008 GOZ ban on NGO humanitarian activities severely limited NGOs' ability to respond to these growing humanitarian needs until the suspension was lifted at the end of August. ¶3. Access to social and public services such as health, water, and electricity continues to decline dramatically and has substantially impacted negatively on the welfare of displaced urban vulnerable populations. Electricity is rationed and the water and sanitation situation in both Bulawayo and Harare is dire. Residents of these two cities often go for weeks without water, forcing them to rely on streams and unprotected shallow wells. Lack of GOZ investment and maintenance of urban water and sewage systems has resulted in an increase in waterborne diseases such as dysentery and chol%UNmQ3xQde in the country it is highly unlikely the GOZ will be able to access enough foreign exchange to restore normal water, sanitation, and electricity to urban areas. The GOZ's health care services are in a shambles. Plagued by chronic lack of funds, critical shortages of medical supplies and drugs, and low wages, many health care professionals have left the country. Hyper-inflation has also put basic health care out of reach for the most vulnerable populations. ¶4. There is currently a critical shortage of cereals and other staples throughout the country. Even those with the financial resources required to access food are out of luck due to lack of availability in some areas. Results of national crop assessments estimated that for 2008, the national average yield of maize production was the lowest on record for Zimbabwe and about 40 percent of that in 2007. The exceptionally low production for 2008 is largely attributed to late planting due to untimely and inadequate delivery of agricultural inputs, poor condition of draught animals following the drought in 2007 and unavailability of fertilizer. To make matters worse, there is a critical shortage of seeds and fertilizer for this year's agricultural campaign. Unless farmers are able to access these agricultural inputs by November 15, which is highly doubtful, yields for 2009-2010 will again be low. (REF A) ¶5. The GOZ was projected to import 800,000 MT of cereals through the government's Grain Marketing Board (GMB) this year. To date, only 250,000 MT have arrived in country according to FAO. WFP has advised that it is highly unlikely the government will be able to import the remaining 550,000 MT. Furthermore, the GOZ's Grain Marketing Board has a statutory monopoly on all imported grains and it is illegal for the private sector to import cereals. Efforts by NGOs/WFP can help, but not fully replace the system nor fill the cereal gap. Due to the national shortage of cash, barter has become common in rural areas, although the terms of trade for livestock and maize are declining dramatically in some areas of the country. Coping mechanisms include reducing number of meals, increased reliance on wild fruits, and selling off assets - primarily livestock. Divestment of too many or all livestock will only knock households further back resulting in higher numbers in need of humanitarian assistance next year. In urban areas, tightly restricted withdrawals of cash from banks add to the difficult access to the little food that is available. -------------- USG Humanitarian Assistance in FY08 -------------- ¶6. Food Security, Agriculture, and Livelihoods: In FY08, USAID/OFDA contributed approximately USD 2.2 million through C-SAFE, FAO, The Joint Initiative (Mercy Corps),and Holistic Management to provide agriculture, livelihood, and food security assistance. These programs aim to improve food security for individuals living in drought prone and marginal lands through the construction and rehabilitation of water catchment structures, training in conservation farming, and improvement of range management and livestock health. The Joint Initiative program is targeting thousands of Zimbabwe's most vulnerable populations in urban settings with food, agriculture, and livelihood assistance. In addition, in FY08, USAID/FFP contributed 151,500 MT of PL-480 Title II emergency food assistance valued at more than USD 176 million to World Food Program and C-SAFE. The emergency food aid program targeting displaced populations, school children, the chronically ill, orphans, and other vulnerable people was suspended during the government ban on humanitarian activities, but both C-SAFE and WFP are back in the field and preparing to scale up large scale distributions by mid-October. ¶7. Mobile and Vulnerable Populations (MVP): Assistance for internally displaced and vulnerable urban populations remains a priority concern and need. Operation Murambatsvina (OM),which destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in 2005, resulted in the displacement of approximately 700,000 people. Thousands of ex-commercial farm workers were also displaced with the fast track land reform program. Random evictions and commercial farm worker displacements still continue. ¶8. In FY08 the MVP population increased significantly as a result of post-election political violence. The wave of violence that swept the country following the March 29 elections resulted in an estimated additional 30,000 displaced people. Thousands of homes have been destroyed and crops and livestock burned. The level of rural destitution and fear has risen markedly over the past year and people are still afraid to return home. In FY08, USAID/OFDA provided approximately USD 950,000 to IOM to help meet increased needs for mobile and vulnerable urban populations. ¶9. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: As noted above, the water and sanitation situation in country continues to deteriorate. Soap has become a luxury item for a majority of the urban and rural poor. In FY08, USAID/OFDA provided OXFAM/UK and World Vision with over USD 4 million to implement water, sanitation, and hygiene programs as well as distribute emergency hygiene supplies (including soap) in Bulawayo, Harare, and Masvingo Provinces. The OXFAM program is providing basic hygiene items to vulnerable households and conducting public health awareness activities. The World Vision program is providing rooftop catchments structures to schools, clinics, and vulnerable households in Bulawayo in addition to protecting shallow household wells. -------------- Coordination -------------- ¶10. USAID/OFDA provided USD 100,000 to OCHA this year to support their coordination role. -------------- Renewal of Disaster Declaration for FY09 -------------- ¶11. It is clear that the on-going complex political/economic crisis, compounded by the impact of post-election political violence and resultant displacement of thousands of people, the ban on NGO activities, and the food security crisis has resulted in an acceleration of the erosion of household resiliency of the poorest segments of the urban and rural populations of Zimbabwe. It is also clear that the Mugabe regime has neither the will nor the capacity to respond to the magnitude of humanitarian needs created by these multiple crises. Post is concerned about a possible further deterioration in the current situation due to lack of availability and high price of staple food items and agricultural inputs, the growing difficulty of accessing cash from banks in urban areas, continued deterioration of the water/sanitation infrastructure, and the growing frustration on the part of the general population with the drawn out political stalemate. Therefore, Post hereby renews the referenced disaster declarations for FY09. Post will continue to work closely with the regional offices of USAID/FFP and USAID/OFDA to monitor the situation and determine what types of additional humanitarian assistance may be required to save lives, alleviate suffering, and reduce the economic impact of this complex disaster. DHANANI