August 29, 2008
Zimbabwe Pledges to Lift Ban on Relief Groups
By Caroline Preston
Zimbabwe’s government said today that it would lift a months-long ban on humanitarian work, potentially restoring food aid to more than 2 million people who have gone without assistance since early June.
The ban had been imposed ahead of a run-off presidential election on June 27. Many aid workers believed the prohibition was an attempt by President Robert Mugabe’s government to prevent them from witnessing pre-election violence against his political opponents.
Charity leaders reacted with cautious optimism to the announcement. Aid groups, including World Vision and Oxfam, are scheduled to meet with the Zimbabwe Ministry of Public Service on Monday to “clarify operation modalities,” according to an Oxfam America statement.
“We hope that these ‘modalities’ will not involve restrictions on aid agencies or local civil society,” said Charles Abani, Oxfam’s regional director. “It is vital that nongovernmental actors are given the space to deliver on their mandates of support to poor and vulnerable Zimbabweans.”
Officials with Oxfam and World Vision said they were gearing up to resume their aid work. Because of Zimbabwe’s economic troubles — the country’s inflation rate is 11.2 million percent — hunger has spread beyond rural areas to poor families who live in urban centers.
Oxfam plans to help more than 500,000 people in the cities of Harare and Bulawayo, as well as two provinces. It also intends to resume its poverty-reduction work with local charities.
“We are keen to support the Zimbabwe authorities to respond quickly to the humanitarian crisis,” Mr. Abani said. “Going forward, we would also like to work with Zimbabwean partners on longer-term recovery and reconstruction projects.”
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