December 16, 2008

As the Mugabi government appears to unravel by the day, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee is helping to release US$7 million in food aid to Zimbabwe's already desperate citizens.

Late last week, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank announced the release of 10,000 tons of corn, soy, oil and ground nuts to 120,000 beneficiaries. The essential aid will help stave off hunger and starvation until the region's next harvest in May 2009.

The CFGB project is being overseen by the United Church, partnering with Christian Care Zimbabwe and supported by eight member organizations including CRWRC. With a matching grant from the Canadian International Development Agency, CRWRC will contribute a combined total of $100,000 to the project.

The urgently-needed relief comes subsequent to a UN prediction that 5.1 million Zimbabweans will require emergency food supplements in the first three months of 2009.

In a press release distributed on Thursday, CFGB executive director Jim Cornelius said that "it is important to respond as quickly as possible to the immediate needs so that people have the strength to carry on….It is also very important to support communities in their ongoing efforts to develop lasting solutions and feed themselves."

Zimbabwe's government has come under increasing criticism recently, with a widening array of world leaders decrying the country's political deadlock, economic failure, and deteriorating humanitarian conditions – including the recent cholera outbreak that has already killed hundreds.

WHO reported 14,000 active cases of cholera in Zimbabwe early last week.

A unity government agreement, defined after a hotly contested Spring 2008 national election, has failed to materialize. The proposed power-sharing deal hinges on constitutional amendment to create a prime minister position to be filled by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. As head of the Movement for Democratic Change, Tsvangirai withdrew from a run-off election in June 2008 under questionable circumstances.

Zimbabwe's free-fall from one of the more diversified positions on the Continent has been quick and stunning. CFGB forecasts (12/11/08) that the country's poor agricultural policies, lack of agricultural inputs, the declining economy, and unchecked health concerns such as HIV and AIDS will cause one of the most significant food crises in the world in coming months.

In partnership with churches in southern Africa, and in light of blatant injustices during this year's election process, the governing body of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRC) adopted a Resolution on Zimbabwe in July 2008.

The document, and statements conveyed to both U.S. and Canadian governments, expressed "solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe and in particular those Christian leaders who…live the Gospel of love in the face of hatred and violence" during post-election unrest.

The CRCNA also participated, through the Micah Challenge and GCAP, in The Pan-African Day of Solidarity for Zimbabwe. The organizations called for an independent commission to investigate human rights abuses, posting human rights monitors, reconciliation and dialog, restoration of an independent judiciary, and accountability for security forces and law enforcement agencies.

Agency contacts from the area noted today that "the international community will have to get involved to counter the destabilizing effect Zimbabwe's downfall would create in the southern region of Africa."

CRWRC is a Christian non-government organization specializing in disaster relief, integrated community-based development, and justice education since 1963, and has participated with CFGB for 25 years. CRWRC is active in more than 30 of the world's least developed countries.

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee