Supporting Zimbabwe's recovery

06 August 2009

The international community – including the UK – is willing to re-engage and support recovery in Zimbabwe, provided the new government can demonstrate its commitment to:

• sound economic management
• the democratic process and respect for human rights
• the rule of law
• full and equal access to humanitarian assistance
• a timely election held to international standards.
  

Zimbabwe has come a long way since February when the Inclusive Government formed.  There has been genuine progress on the economic front.

The nation has dollarised and brought inflation down into the single digits.  Modest growth is expected in 2009 and essential services are being restored – public servants are being paid, health workers are back on the job and children are back in school.

The political situation, however, remains in the balance with deficiencies in and threats to the Inclusive Government including through ongoing farm seizures, arrests and detentions.

The humanitarian situation has eased – following a devastating cholera outbreak and widespread food shortages.  Nevertheless, serious underlying problems remain and crisis may return with the impending rainy and hungry seasons.

See key facts on food, cholera and internally displaced persons.

A new commitment

In June, the British Prime Minister announced an additional £5 million support for Zimbabwe during the visit of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to London.  In April, the Secretary of State for International Development had announced an additional £15 million support.

These pledges took the UK contribution for the 2009/10 financial year to £60 million.  This represents the largest ever UK aid programme to Zimbabwe.

In Zimbabwe, the UK supports a comprehensive set of humanitarian aid programmes and we are committed to helping those Zimbabweans most in need. 

Our funds save lives and livelihoods and build the foundations for future growth. In 2009, we will:

• deliver emergency food aid
• reduce the likely impact of future large-scale cholera and other water-born disease outbreaks by improving access to clean water and sanitation
• strengthen front-line delivery of health services, with improved access to life-saving medicines and basic health care for vulnerable people
• provide agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertiliser to smallholder farmers
• advance the welfare of internally displaced persons
• fight HIV and AIDS and promote behavioural change to reduce its impact
• support orphans and vulnerable children and safeguard their futures
• strengthen the capacity of national systems to provide essential basic services
• fund textbooks for school children
• help implement a national gender action plan.
  

Who receives these funds?

For the time being, the bulk of DFID funds will continue to be provided through the UN and NGOs.

No funds will go to or through the Government of Zimbabwe.  However we are in active dialogue with the Inclusive Government, alongside other donors, about how we can help with some of their immediate social and economic priorities. 

We hope to build on these relations and are prepared to deepen our engagement and support as we see progress on political and economic reform.  

Key facts

Food: There was a good harvest in 2009 (130% more than 2008).  Yet, a food gap will appear (Oct 2009 – Mar 2010) as food stocks deplete. 

The World Food Programme will provide food assistance this year to an estimated 1.4m vulnerable food insecure people. Last year, DFID Zimbabwe provided £9m to the WFP on food aid.   

Cholera: 98,592 cases & 4,288 deaths (4.3% case fatality rate) as of early July 2009.  The epidemic is now under control although donors, UN, NGOs and government are preparing for cholera’s return with the rainy season starting around October.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): Farm invasions continue and the risk of displacement for remaining farm-worker families remains a concern.  More than 1.5m people have been displaced by the policies of Zimbabwe's government since 2000. DFID Zimbabwe has a £6.5m programme to provide emergency assistance to IDPs and humanitarian assistance at border crossing points. 

Last financial year our programme:

• helped nearly 2 million of the poorest people to grow more food, get access to clean water, and support community-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS – our funding has increased crop yields for poor farmers by up to 40%
• enabled the International Organisation for Migration to help more than 200,000 deportees a year
• supplied a large proportion of the country’s essential medicines, and HIV treatment to 48,000 people, helped keep AIDS-affected children in school, and promoted behaviour change that has led to a drop in HIV rates from 20.0% in 2000 to 15.6% in 2007
• provided £9 million to help the World Food Programme feed up to 7 million people by the end of March 2009
• assisted displaced people and urban poor with food vouchers, shelter, and access to education.