I. Situation Overview Key Points
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July 2010 Key Points Resurgence of cholera outbreak reported. 480,000 households to receive agricultural input support. 1..3 million rural Zimbabweans expected to be food insecure during peak hunger season. I. Situation Overview and sanitation and food security. While some early recovery activities are ongoing as part of Humanitarian needs in Zimbabwe are still large and humanitarian actions, the lack of major funding for substantial. Despite a significant improvement recovery and development remains a major hindrance compared to 2008/9, little has happened to to moving the country out of a situation of consolidate the gains and the situation remains fragile generalized humanitarian need. and uncertain. Consequently, the country remains vulnerable to the impact of unseen new emergencies. The humanitarian response, through the CAP, contributed to saving lives by providing food to As a result, agencies in Zimbabwe need $478 million vulnerable populations and supporting vital social to meet the country’s immediate humanitarian needs services including health and education at a critical through the Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP). point in Zimbabwe’s history, despite funding This is an additional $100 million above the initial challenges. $378 million requested when the 2010 appeal was launched in December 2009. The increases are However, currently the 2010 CAP is only 41.6% largely for agriculture, food aid and health-related funded. Lack of funding at this critical point threatens projects. to reverse progress made between the latter part of 2009 and now. Support is desperately needed to Key priorities to be addressed by the revised 2010 avert loss of more lives and a further erosion of CAP include improving levels of food security, social infrastructure. Without sustained interventions prevention of and rapid response to disease Zimbabweans remain vulnerable to unforeseen outbreaks, protection-related issues and response to emergencies as illustrated by recent multiple disease natural disasters. Food aid activities, initially outbreaks such as cholera, malaria, measles and scheduled until April 2010, were extended to typhoid which resulted in preventable deaths. December 2010 due to the protracted dry spell from mid-December 2009 to February 2010, which The humanitarian community continues to appeal to affected food security in parts of the country. donors for increased funding. On their part, Currently about 540,000 people require food aid, a humanitarian partners will continue to render figure expected to rise to 904,000 from October to assistance through instruments such as the CAP. All December 2010 and subsequently 1.3 million at the activities will be undertaken while ensuring peak of the hunger season from January to March humanitarian and Government priorities remain 2011; 4.5 million people have limited or no access to complementary in all sectors. In parallel, efforts safe water and sanitation in rural and urban areas; 1.6 should be made to address the root causes of million children require support to access education resurging humanitarian needs through restoration of while there has been a marked decline in student basic infrastructure and livelihood programmes. A enrolment at schools since 2006; and 15,000 severely concerted effort by all stakeholders, including the malnourished children under 5 years are at very high GoZ, donors and the humanitarian community, is risk of dying in Zimbabwe. essential in this regard. The fragility of Zimbabwe’s humanitarian situation is largely because of the prevailing degradation of infrastructure in the basic sectors of health, water The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. Monthly Humanitarian Update 2 July 2010 II. Humanitarian Needs and Response campaign 8,708 suspected cases and 517 deaths had been reported since the onset of the outbreak in Health September 2009. In anticipation of a possible mass influx of Zimbabweans returning from South Africa following The post National Immunisation Days (NID) and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the neighbouring Child Health Days (CHD) campaign survey started country, the health cluster strategic working group this month. The data entry has been completed and (SWG) recommended that needs assessments be the consultants started the analysis. Preliminary conducted in Beitbridge and Plumtree border towns results are expected in the comings days. It is hoped to appropriately inform an inter-agency contingency that findings from the survey and lessons learnt from plan developed to assist returnees. The assessment the campaign will enhance the routine Expanded was carried out by a joint team comprising the Programme on Immunisation (EPI). European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) and WHO. The major objective of the visit Meanwhile, integrated EPI disease surveillance and was to assess the level of preparedness to respond to case finding continues. Districts have been mass return with a focus on health. The mission encouraged to continue searching fro suspected visited Beitbridge and had fruitful discussion and measles cases. works sessions with the District Medical Officer (DMO) and key health partners operating at the A resurgence of cholera has been reported, border with South Africa, namely International particularly in the Manicaland province where Organization of Migration (IOM), Medecins Sans outbreaks have been largely associated with illegal Frontieres (MSF) and World Vision International diamond mining activities. By 25 July 2010 a (WVI). Under the leadership of the DMO Beitbridge, cumulative 703 cases consisting of 604 suspected the health cluster members are actively involved into cases, 86 laboratory confirmed cases and 18 deaths the contingency planning process activities held at the had been reported since the onset of the current office of the DMO. The Provincial Medical Director outbreak in February 2010. The crude case fatality (PMD) and the DMO participate to the provincial rate is 2.6%. Over the same period last year 98,522 Civil Protection Unit (CPU) activities including cumulative cases and 4,282 deaths with a crude case meetings, needs assessment, capacity assessments and fatality rate of 4.3% had been reported in an outbreak planning among others. that started in August 2008. Altogether 18 districts have been affected compared to 54 in the 2008/9 The contingency plan for mass return was further outbreak. The last reported cases were confined to discussed during the monthly health cluster meeting Chimanimani district in Manicaland province and on 13 July. In addition, following consultation with reported among illegal diamond miners from the cluster members, the SWG finalised the health Chiadzwa mining area. Most, 72% of the cases in the component of the Inter-Agency contingency plan for current outbreak are from rural areas compared to 2011 being led by OCHA. 67% during the corresponding period in 2009. The national immunisation campaign conducted from Cases of typhoid increased slightly to 458 by 25 July 24 May to 2 June 2010 has started to bear fruits as 2010 compared to 449 reported over the same the weekly number of new measles infections has period in June. The outbreak, which began in declined. One considers that it normally takes two to February this year, remains confined to Harare and four weeks for the measles jab to start fighting the its environs. The coordination of response activities measles attack. A cumulative 1,427 cases and seven continues at Harare City Health department. deaths have been reported by 25 July in the period Surveillance, health promotion and case management after the campaign. Altogether 31 blood specimens continue and patients are being treated at Beatrice were received by the laboratory and 19 were Road Infectious Diseases Hospital (BRIDH). confirmed to be measles IgM positive. Of the suspected cases, 229 were reported after the week Sporadic cases of suspected meningococcal meningitis ending 4 July when immunity is expected to have were reported from Harare City and Marondera developed in vaccinated children. The MoHCW district. Investigations conducted by the Mashonaland Epidemiological Bulletin indicates that the decline East PMD and Harare City Health did not confirm the became noticeable around June 20. Prior to the suspicion of a meningococcal meningitis outbreak. The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. Monthly Humanitarian Update 3 July 2010 The situation is currently being monitored by the With respect to WASH needs, Action Contre La respective health authorities with support from Faim (ACF) in Beitbridge conducted an assessment at health cluster members. receiving points identified by IOM and in Vaccination against H1N1 is underway following the collaboration with the district CPU. UNICEF and launch of the programme by deputy Health and Child WVI provided support for the water and sanitation Welfare minister, Dr. Douglas Mombeshora on 22 services including 4,500 hygiene NFI kits and 24 July 2010. The vaccination programme is targeting mobile toilets while Oxfam supported IOM’s WASH 1,250,000 people, primarily health workers, school assessment in Plumtree in preparation for possible children, pregnant women