Critical Aid Delivered in Zimbabwe

By Michael Hill

Catholic Relief Services is providing lifesaving aid to hundreds of thousands of people in Zimbabwe as the country faces unprecedented shortages of food and medical care.

Working under very difficult conditions in a country ravaged by skyrocketing inflation, a sharply deteriorating infrastructure and 90 percent unemployment, CRS is delivering food to well over a half-million needy Zimbabweans, both through its Church partners, such as missionary hospitals and schools, as well as directly to beneficiaries.

CRS is part of the Consortium for Southern Africa Food Security (C-SAFE) program of aid groups (CRS, World Vision and CARE International) that brings food donated by the United States into Zimbabwe through the Republic of South Africa and then delivers it to most of the country.

The CRS food reaches hundreds of thousands of children in emergency school-based feeding programs, and a like number of adults in other feeding programs.

The catastrophic conditions in Zimbabwe mean that every step of the way is fraught with difficulties, from keeping trucks running to keeping staff paid and healthy, to ensuring that children still come to school to get their food—though most of their teachers are no longer there. The recent outbreak of cholera in the country has also touched CRS staff.

"This is a very challenging situation," says Karel Zelenka, the CRS country representative based in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare. "We are working hard to overcome those challenges to help the people of Zimbabwe in their hour of need."

In addition to the crucial food aid, CRS continues to provide for over 50,000 people living with HIV, orphans and vulnerable children, and supports almost 100,000 people through livelihoods assistance and other emergency responses.

CRS began its Zimbabwe country program in 1989 at the invitation of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference. The country program's headquarters are in Harare, while suboffices in the cities of Bulawayo, Mutare and Mudzi enable CRS staff to work hand in hand with community partners in these areas. CRS Zimbabwe currently has more than 330 staff members. The program reaches more than 1 million direct beneficiaries.

CRS Zimbabwe's overall goal is to strengthen the capacity of Zimbabwean communities to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS and to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. CRS Zimbabwe works through more than 20 partner organizations (almost half of which belong to the Church) to operate programs addressing HIV, orphans and other vulnerable children, livelihoods security (including projects in agriculture and water and sanitation), food security, justice and peace, and emergency preparedness and protection.

Michael Hill is CRS' communications officer for sub-Saharan Africa. He is based at the agency's headquarters in Baltimore.