UN Office in Zimbabwe appeals for funds for humanitarian crisis

Harare, ZIMBABWE

The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Zimbabwe appealed for funds to help the southern African nation mitigate its humanitarian crisis in addition to its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The office, which has appealed for $800 million to address the nation’s humanitarian crisis, requested for $85 million for response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and its societal impact.

The funds would be allocated to UN agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which will provide water supply, risk interventions and infection and control and prevention programmes.

In April, Zimbabwe and the United Nations unveiled a multi-million-dollar emergency humanitarian proposal in preparation to help a section of the population which is threatened by famine and vulnerable to the coronavirus.

UN Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe Maria Ribeiro said that the need for financial assistance was urgent noting that the COVID-19 appeal was part of the broader appeal.

“The COVID-19 response is an all society response. It’s an all government response, an all UN response. It really falls on each of us and, therefore, we need to step to the mark. While we are trying to contain the virus, it’s important to keep an eye on the socio-economic so that Zimbabwe can recover better and stronger,” Ribeiro said.

As Zimbabwe is in arrears with other financial institutions, it is currently ineligible for funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), despite not owing it any debts, as it needs to fulfill certain criteria.

“Zimbabwe would need to clear its arrears with other financial institutions, as well as reach an understanding with its bilateral creditors over clearance of arrears to them. Beyond the issues of arrears, consideration of any future request would require Zimbabwe to be ready to implement strong macro policies and structural reforms,” IMF Communications Director Gerry Rice said.

The IMF has in recent weeks disbursed billions of dollars to a number of African countries as part of its COVID-19 emergency funding.

Zimbabwe, which is in the midst of its worst economic crisis, is struggling with runaway inflation and shortages of foreign currency and medicines that has crippled its hospitals.

The country’s public health sector, which is also burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic and a surge in malaria cases, is also in a crisis having been hit by a number of strikes last year due to demands for better pay and working conditions.

Moreover, the nation faces severe food shortages meaning many families are caught between staying at home and risking hunger or going out to try to earn a living and risk contracting the coronavirus.

The UN estimates seven million people in the country need multi-sectoral humanitarian support. About 2.2 million people in Zimbabwe are food insecure due to increasing urban vulnerability.