Zimbabwe crisis

A humanitarian crisis

Ordinary Zimbabweans are desperately short of food, health care, clean water and safe sanitation. Oxfam has been supporting more than 1 million people affected by the cholera and hunger crises.

Hyperinflation, the impact of HIV and AIDS, and the decline of commercial farm production, have all led to a widespread lack of food and other essential items across Zimbabwe.

• More than 4,000 people have died from Zimbabwe's worst-ever cholera epidemic
• An estimated 7 million people were dependent on food aid in March 2009

In pictures: Zimbabwe cholera and hunger crisis

Despite the creation of the new Government of National Unity, Zimbabwe is still facing a humanitarian crisis of massive proportions. Hospitals are dangerously short of medicines and there is a serious lack of healthcare workers. Food shortages remain, and the water and sanitation systems are in desperate need of renovation.

The country is struggling to raise funds to rebuild its economy and the fragile unity government is still facing teething problems, including issues around drafting a new constitution for the country. This means that it will take some time for the new government to have enough resources to address the infrastructure and health system challenges.

Oxfam's emergency response is providing support to more than 1 million people.

Learn more

• Cholera crisis – Oxfam's response
• Food shortages – Oxfam's response

Fighting cholera

In a country already reeling from widespread food shortages and hyperinflation, close to 100,000 people have been affected by Zimbabwe's worst-ever cholera epidemic.

Oxfam has been responding to the growing crisis by rehabilitating water sources, carrying out hygiene promotion and providing soap, disinfectant and clean water.

While cases of cholera now appear to be falling with the end of the rainy season, major issues such as severe water shortages, the breakdown of city sewerage systems, and the lack of basic hygiene items still need to be addressed. There is real concern that Zimbabwe is likely to face another cholera outbreak when the rains return this autumn.

On film: Cholera crisis

Oxfam's response

We are currently providing support to 1.2 million people in 25 localities in eight Zimbabwean provinces. The focus of our emergency response has been on increasing people's access to safe water through trucking clean water and drilling and rehabilitating boreholes. We have also been running hygiene promotion activities and distributing items such as soap, water purification tablets, and jerrycans to help prevent the spread of the disease.

In the longer term we plan to work with partners to ensure that all Zimbabweans have regular access to safe and reliable drinking water, as well as ensuring proper sanitation systems are in place. We will continue to lobby the government to address important water and sanitation issues which are essential in preventing future cholera outbreaks.

You can help: Donate to Oxfam's work in Zimbabwe

Hunger crisis

With hyperinflation, poor harvests and food shortages all taking their toll, the World Food Programme estimates that 7 million Zimbabweans were reliant on food aid in March 2009.

On film: Food shortages

Oxfam's response

Oxfam has been working with the World Food Programme to distribute food aid to those in need.

Between October 2008 and March 2009 we distributed food rations to 253,000 people in Kwekwe, Shurugwi and Chirumanzu districts in Midlands province. Another 15,000 families in urban areas received food aid through the Joint Initiative programme, a consortium of NGOs in Zimbabwe, of which Oxfam is a member.

In pictures: Zimbabwe food aid

We've also been helping set up nutritional gardens that can provide communities with vegetables and have been distributing fertiliser and seeds to help improve people's ability to cope with food shortages.

A total of 27,000 households in five districts of Midlands and Masvingo provinces have received drought resistant sorghum seeds and fertiliser. Recent assessments in these areas have shown that sorghum has done much better than the traditionally preferred maize seeds.

In some areas where nutritional gardens are being promoted, communities are now able to produce more than enough food to feed their families, and have begun selling the surplus to supplement their incomes.

In the longer term we are planning to focus on projects to help people be better prepared for, and able to cope with, poor harvests and drought. This will include working on small irrigation schemes and helping ensure farmers are able to guard against future poor harvests.

You can help: Donate to Oxfam's work in Zimbabwe