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Whilst
acknowledging ongoing negotiations to resolve the political crisis in Zimbabwe, Oxfam is concerned about the continuing lack of attention to the deepening humanitarian crisis in the country. According
to the Zimbabwe Crop and Food Security Assessment report, there are currently more than 2 million people in Zimbabwe who do not have enough to eat. This is expected to rise to 5 million people by
January 2009. The ban on civil society activity, especially humanitarian activity by the government in the run up to the elections, is seriously exacerbating the situation for poor people
in the country. Coping mechanisms have stretched beyond their limits. Charles Abani, Oxfam’s Regional Director, said: “We know that there is a growing humanitarian crises, and
we are prepared to support efforts to address this crisis, but because of the continued ban, we have had to put all our operations on hold”. There is a very real need to start supporting farmers
with agricultural inputs and seeds that are in short supply for the next planting season. Oxfam calls on the negotiating parties to put the growing humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe at the top
of the agenda. Specifically, and with reference to the Memorandum of Understanding for negotiating the future in Zimbabwe, we call for the immediate and unconditional lifting of the ban on NGOs and
civil society organisations to resume their work to address the rights and needs of vulnerable, unprotected and starving people in Zimbabwe. More from the Oxfam Press Office at http://www.oxfam.org.uk/news
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
A farm worker is seen at a farm in Eikeihof outside Johannesburg September 30, 2008. For those seeking to redistribute South Africa's rich, sprawling farmland among landless, poor blacks, there is ...
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