Undercover in Zimbabwe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UrpciPVOdk&feature=related

Desparate Situation

The situation continues to deterioarate around Zimbabwe.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said cholera had killed 565 people and infected over 12,500 Zimbabweans. Hundreds of Zimbabweans have fled to South Africa for treatment, adding to pressure for greater regional involvement to pull Zimbabwe back from total meltdown. Meanwhile the RedCross and UNICEF have been allowed access into to Zimbabwe to drill wells to provide some sort of relief for the citizens.

The interesting thing will be to see how the neighboring countries respond. There have been reports of a few cases of cholera in South Africa. Many Zimbabweans have been trying to cross the border to receive treatment as there are few clinics open in Zimbabwe at the moment.

The International Federation of the Red Cross said six people had died in South Africa with 400 cases reported.
"The problem is massive," Robin Waudo, a Red Cross spokesman in Zimbabwe, told Reuters Television.
Malawian Health Minister Khumbo Kachali told Reuters health services had been put on high alert after a Zimbabwean truck driver was admitted to a hospital there with the disease.

And as though the health breakdown was not enough for the people of Zimbabwe to deal with there have been increased reports of police and soldier clashes with Zimbabweans. With only 1/5 adults with a steady job, crime is bound to be on the rise.

Isolation and Suffering Grows!

Mugabe's regime has now resorted to desparate measures to secure their nation's demise. Over the past weekend The Elders were barred from entering Zimbabwe by being refused visas. Jimmy Carter a member of the elders said that Zimbabwe "appears much worse than anything we ever imagined". Graca Machel, a women's rights activist had heard heartbreaking stories from conversations she had with refugees, and has also called for a resolution for the nation.

The situation that Mr. Carter and Graca Machel and so many are realising has been one of humanitarian crisis. It is reported that only since August over 300 people have died in Zimbabwe from cholera. The outbreak was set-off by massive water shortages, and an almost complete collapse in the healthcare system. With the lack of international and independent media in Zimbabwe it is really hard to even guage the exact extent to the problems the nation is is facing.

In the meantime on the political front - there has been less hope. Election results were completely ignored by Mr Mugabe, which found him defeated by the opposition. He then claimed to try to negotiate with the opposition and create a power sharing government. All this has been fruitless, with Mr. Mugabe refusing to release his iron clad hold on control of the government. Talks are said to resume again on Tuesday. And Mr.Kofi Anan has called on SADC, which has largely neglected the problems in Zimbabwe, to put their "full weight to bear to ensure the agreement is fully implemented." Though things have moved slowly there is some hope in that the world is beginning to notice the catastrophe in this small nation. Hopefully leaders will follow through with more than promises and initiatives, because the longer they take the more lives that are being lost.

Brief History of Zimbabwe

This is the first post. It really was prompted by the desparate situation facing the people of Zimbabwe. To being let's give you a brief background story to Zimbabwe:

The country is dictated by President Robert Mugabe, who is accused by rights groups of massive violations of human rights.[2] Zimbabwe is currently experiencing a hard currency shortage, which has led to hyperinflation and chronic shortages in imported fuel and consumer goods. President Mugabe's critics blame his program of land reform. However, Mugabe claims that massive financial isolation through American, British, and European Union legislation such as the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 is the actual cause of hyperinflation. Under ZDERA, the United States is prohibited from supporting any efforts by the International Monetary Fund and other financial institutions to extend loans, credit or debt cancellation to the Zimbabwean government.
Zimbabwe's current economic and food crisis, described by some observers as the country's worst humanitarian crisis since independence, has been attributed, in varying degrees, to government economic mismanagement, government prohibitions on relief efforts from foreign non-governmental organizations, a drought affecting the entire region, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. - Care of Wikipedia

I personally grew up in Zimbabwe - and in the 80s and early 90s it was a gem in Africa. The economy was stable, education strong and a good health care system. Over the last decade I have watched as this nation has slipped further and further into a dark hole of absolute dictatorship, corruption and destitution. The current government has made it clear that it is willing to let its people die and suffer before compromising their power.