FY10 RENEWAL OF DISASTER DECLARATION IN ZIMBABWE FOR

UNCLAS HARARE 000822 AFR/SA FOR LDOBBINS, JHARMON OFDA/W for KLUU, ACONVERY, LMTHOMAS, TDENYSENKO FFP/W for JBORNS, ASINK, LPETERSEN PRETORIA for HHALE, PDISKIN, SMCNIVEN SIPDIS AIDAC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR PREL PHUM ZI SUBJECT: FY10 RENEWAL OF DISASTER DECLARATION IN ZIMBABWE FOR COMPLEX EMERGENCY REF: 2008 HARARE 904 THIS IS AN ACTION CABLE. See paras 3 and 9 below. -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. Recent public opinion polling reveals that many Zimbabweans feel more positive about the future than they have during recent years. They credit the transitional government and, more specifically, Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC for the economic improvements they have seen. But while the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe has improved compared to a year ago, millions of Zimbabweans continue to live a precarious existence. They are threatened by the possibility of renewed state sponsored political violence, the risk of another cholera epidemic, and tenuous food security. Farm invasions during the past eight months have displaced two thousand workers, according to the General Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ). The government's thin revenues cannot support basic needs for health care, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, and other necessities. All this means that the current complex humanitarian crisis will be with Zimbabwe during the next year. ¶3. This cable requests renewal of the disaster declaration for this complex emergency for FY10. Continued humanitarian assistance from USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) will be required in FY10 to meet critical humanitarian needs of both urban and rural populations. In FY09, USAID/OFDA provided more than USD 30 million in humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe. END SUMMARY. -------------- Humanitarian Crisis Background -------------- ¶3. Conditions for many Zimbabweans have improved in FY 2009 thanks in large part to the decision to scrap the Zimbabwe dollar. Foreign currencies now circulate instead, making day-to-day survival less difficult for many Zimbabweans than it was a year ago. The swearing in of a transitional government in February has also enhanced economic, social, and political stability. A recent nationwide public opinion poll conducted by the Mass Public Opinion Institute reveals a marked improvement in attitudes toward economic prospects for the future compared to just one year ago. Such gains, and the continued existence of the transitional government itself, however, are tenuous. Even with these improvements, a large number of Zimbabweans face food insecurity and await free distribution of inputs for agriculture because they are too poor to buy food and farming inputs. ¶4. They also face the threat of renewed state-sponsored organized violence and torture as the country prepares for the rollout of a constitution making process, a referendum on a constitution, and national and local elections -- all possibly within the next 18 months. More than a year after the June 2008 elections, thousands of Zimbabweans who were victims of state-sponsored violence were still seeking medical, legal, and other humanitarian assistance. More than 8,000 persons were treated by one medical service provider alone, the USAID-funded Counseling Services Unit, during the past year. Many in the human rights and pro-democracy communities fear that the uneasy calm prevailing over most of the country could explode in renewed violence during the coming year, creating new waves of injured and displaced populations. ¶5. GAPWUZ estimates that at least 2,000 people have been displaced by farm invasions since February. This number could grow significantly over the coming year. Cholera took the lives of more Qsignificantly over the coming year. Cholera took the lives of more than 4,000 persons last year and although programming responses by USAID, the UN and other donors have reduced the possibility of an outbreak of this magnitude, cholera has reemerged. At the October combined Health and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster meeting on cholera, the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 7 confirmed cases out of 33 suspected cases of cholera since September. ¶6. A FEWSNET special report dated September 30 states that, thanks to the liberalization of markets and the collapse of the Grain Marketing Board, private traders are able to import food and other items and sell them at stable market prices. The 80 percent of rural households and 60 percent of urban households who get about 80 percent of their annual food requirements from their own production have benefitted from good harvests, increasing their access to food compared to the same time last year. FEWSNET also notes that "Zimbabwe's still depressed economy continues to limit employment opportunities, and even for those who are employed, low wages constrict their purchasing power for food and other basic commodities and services." ¶7. The FEWSNET special report concludes that "the new macroeconomic environment in Zimbabwe has not only resulted in greater availability of cheaper food, but has also created a problem of accessibility for the poor households. Supplies of both food and non-foodstuff in urban areas remain favorable with improved availability since January and this is expected to continue through December 2009, given the extended imports regulations...as Zimbabwe moves into the hunger period (October to February),the proportion of food insecure households will be significant despite the good harvest and economic recovery." A joint WFP/FAO crop assessment estimated that 2.8 million Zimbabweans will be in need of monthly food rations during the 2009/2010 lean season, but the actual requirement may be less. The actual outcome will depend on the political situation, the evolving economy and market conditions. -------------- USG Humanitarian Assistance in FY09 -------------- ¶8. The USG provided a total of $201,452,250 in humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe in FY 2009. This included $30.9 million from OFDA, of which $7.3m was for emergency relief supplies and WASH activities of nine partners in areas affected by cholera; the remaining $23.6m from OFDA went to fourteen partners for agriculture and food security inputs, WASH, risk reduction and humanitarian coordination, emergency relief supplies, information management, and protection. $166.6 million from FFP went to two partners in emergency food assistance and $3.9 million from State/PRM to three partners for refugee/migrant assistance and humanitarian support. -------------- Renewal of Disaster Declaration for FY10 -------------- ¶9. Improvement on the political and economic fronts notwithstanding, it is clear that the complex humanitarian crisis continues. Post is particularly concerned about: the continued farm invasions and the growing number of displaced farm workers; the potential for a new round of state-sponsored organized violence and torture, as the country moves towards a constitutional referendum and elections; and the resurgence of cholera. Zimbabwe continues to have emergent needs in all humanitarian sectors including food insecurity, sustainable livelihoods, WASH, protection, and access to adequate healthcare. Therefore, Post hereby requests renewal of the disaster declaration for FY09 (Ref). 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. PETTERSON