A new programme focusing on the provision of emergency life-saving material and protection assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees is set to benefit about 18,000 displaced people (approx 3,000 families) in Zimbabwe's two main provinces, Harare and Mashonaland Central.
Both were hit hard by waves of displacements in 2008 due to political violence and various policy initiatives including farm acquisitions, the latter responsible for continuous new displacement.
Joint rapid assessments conducted by IOM and its partners in January, February, and June 2009 in 157 communities in 20 districts in Harare, Manicaland, and Mashonaland Central, East and West provinces revealed that 14,305 IDP households were in need of immediate assistance that included shelter, food and non-food items, livelihood and legal support and protection of their civic rights especially physical integrity and safety.
The programme, with US$ 410,000 of funding from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), will be jointly implemented by IOM and UNHCR through implementing partners.
A strategy to respond to the protection needs of the displaced has been developed. IOM will focus on measures to respond to threats on physical security and the persecution of displaced populations through the provision of emergency shelter, non-food items, psychosocial support to survivors of violence and the setting up of healing and reconciliation initiatives.
UNHCR will concentrate on rebuilding the destroyed livelihoods of IDPs and returnees, mobile clinics for legal advice and counseling and on establishing networks for community based workers.
"Investing in emergency life saving interventions is key because they provide much needed physical protection to the displaced. Shelter, basic necessities and an opportunity to earn a living are the surest way to protect displaced people. Without these, when they have already lost their homes and livelihoods, they are always vulnerable to all forms of violence and abuse," said Marcelo Pisani, IOM Chief of Mission in Zimbabwe.
Another CERF funded IOM-UNICEF project aimed at addressing malnutrition among children and adults in 11 "hot spot" districts across the country will ensure delivery of immediate lifesaving treatment. According to UNICEF, national acute malnutrition rates are at 7 per cent, poor according to standard WHO emergency thresholds.
IOM will deliver services through its mobile health teams that are already servicing IDP populations whilst UNICEF will provide overall coordination to ensure timely and appropriate treatment reaches children suffering from acute malnutrition in the 11 highly food insecure districts.
For further information, please contact Judith Chinamaringa, IOM Zimbabwe, Tel: +263 4 33 50 48, Email: JChinamaringa@iom.int
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