Making aid effective | Health & HIV/AIDS | Orphans/vulnerable children | Hunger | Displacement | Water and sanitation
The aim of the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) programme in Zimbabwe is to provide direct support to the poorest and most vulnerable people, to contribute effectively to the national response to HIV and AIDS and to promote economic reform and improved governance during a period of political transition.
During the 2009/10 financial year, DFID will spend £60 million. Our funds mainly go through multilateral agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). This is the UK’s largest aid package ever to Zimbabwe.
These funds will save lives and livelihoods and build the foundations for future growth
To make sure that our assistance is reaching those most in need, we support joint planning and monitoring systems.
The DFID funded Protracted Relief Programme Phase II is worth £54.8m over 5 years. It helps the poorest and most vulnerable households suffering from the effects of erratic weather, economic decline and the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
Its main objectives are to improve the food security of the poorest through production and income-generating activities, to improve access to water and sanitation, and to provide social protection and care to the most vulnerable such as the chronically ill.
The programme is reaching over two million poor and vulnerable people.
Zimbabwe's health services deteriorated fast caused mainly by the drain of skilled health workers to other sectors/countries, a shortage of medicines and supplies, shrinking access to and lower demand for care.
Over the last 15 years, DFID has made a significant and sustained investment in health including the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS. Health services account for the vast majority of our basic spending.
In the five years between 2005 and end of 2009, the health & HIV sector donors have spent over $100 million per annum on average.
Over this five-year period, DFID has been the largest donor, providing 31%, followed by USAID (20%), EC (15%) and Global Fund (10%).
A large Round 8 funding programme from Global Fund will shift this balance substantially, with an additional $90 million per year due to be provided by the Global Fund.
Zimbabwe has the highest proportion of children orphaned by AIDS in the world. Over 25% of all children have lost one or both parents. DFID, together with the European Commission, Australia, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and New Zealand EC, will give $85 million to support UNICEF's National Plan of Action in Zimbabwe.
This supports orphans and vulnerable children across the country including support to keep children in school and to provide protection from all forms of abuse.
Civil society organisations manage the programme. As of July 2009, a total of 353,400 children have benefited and the programme aims to reach 1.5 million children next year with school fees support.
Food availability in 2009/10 has greatly improved from last year following a good harvest, an end to the Grain Marketing Board monopoly on importing cereals, dollarisation of the economy and availability of donor-funded agricultural inputs.
Nonetheless, hundreds of thousands of people remain food insecure.
In November 2009, DFID Zimbabwe contributed £4 million to help the World Food Programme (WFP) feed the 1.6 million of the most vulnerable through the leanest time of year.
More than 1.5 million people have been displaced since 2000 (including the Fast Track Land Reform from 2000 to date and Operation ‘Murambatsvina’ - drive out trash – in 2005) and post-election violence (2008)).
Despite the inclusive government, farm invasions continue today and the risk of displacement for remaining farm-worker families remains a concern.
DFID Zimbabwe has had a programme with IOM Zimbabwe to provide emergency assistance (food, non food items, and temporary shelter) to internally displaced people (IDPs) along with humanitarian assistance at border crossings.
IOM continues to be at the forefront of responding to new displacements and emergencies.
Zimbabwe’s cholera outbreak from August 2008 to July 2009 was a sharp indicator of the state of the water and sanitation infrastructure across the country and the consequences of its neglect over the last 20 years.
In total, there were nearly 100,000 cholera cases reported with an overall case fatality rate of 4.3%.
The UK gave £4.7 million to UNICEF in early October 2009 to help: (1) distribute emergency Non-Food Items (oral rehydration kits, soap, jerry cans for water, purification tablets), (2) improve hygiene and sanitation access and practices, (3) rehabilitate water and sanitation systems throughout the country.
Cholera in the 2009/10 season is a fraction of what is was during the 2008/09 season.
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