ActionAid International Southern Africa Partnership Programme (SAPP-Zimbabwe) modest external threat such as an exceptional drought, to trigger widespread suffering. 7 ActionAid concurs with this perspective on increasing vulnerability recognising that as a result of the complex set of issues, including rapid decline, the erosion of traditional structures and increasing poverty of the most vulnerable households over the past decade, the burdens on already near-exhausted kinship support are becoming intolerable. In this context women and girls have been most affected and continue to be the most vulnerable. Recently the Zimbabwe preliminary VAC results suggest at least 3,9 million people will require assistance over the year ahead. Government priorities include a mix of food and cash transfers to the most food insecure. It is further estimated that the number evicted from their homes has increased to 375,000 following Government’s clean up campaign.8 Box 1: Zimbabwe facts at a glance Topic Variable Inflation +144% Population 12.9 million Unemployment 80% Urban population 35% 9 GNI(per capita) US$480 HDI10 147th of 177 countries HIV prevalence 24% Life expectancy at birth 33 years Sources: UNDP, Human Development Report 2004 UNFPA, The State of World Population 2004 UNICEF, The State of the World’s Children 2005 World Bank, World Development Report 2005 • • • • Number of food insecure people is 3,9 million and this excludes at least 700,000 affected by the recent operation Restore Order/ Murambatsvina Maize retail price for June was US$0.34/kg, which is the highest in the region. Furthermore, Zimbabwe has a cereal deficit of 1,718 million metric tonnes, which includes stock replenishment, of which 308 million Mt is required as food aid. WFP, through its southern Africa, PRRO, has estimated its response at 213,436 Mt of cereal and still have a shortfall of 139,155 Mt 1.3 Purpose of the study From 18 May 2005 Zimbabwe experienced the worst urban humanitarian crisis to date since independence in 1980. Currently only two major reports, which are mainly of a qualitative in nature have taken place through the UN Special Envoy on Human Settlements Issues in Zimbabwe” - Mrs Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka to assess the impact of Operation Murambatsvina/Restore Order and the UNCT national report. This crisis has not attracted substantial emergency response commitments but has drawn international condemnation. Stakeholders such as donors (both multi and bi-lateral), International NGOs and other interested parties have been trying to assess the impact of the operation The Underlying Causes of the Food Crisis in the Southern African Region – Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 8 UNRIACSO – Southern African Humanitarian Crisis Update 9 Formerly gross national product or GNP. (GNI) is made up of GDP plus the net income earned from investments abroad (minus similar payments made to non-residents who contribute to the domestic economy). 10 Measures human development by combining three dimensions of development - longevity (life expectancy at birth), knowledge (adult literacy and mean years of schooling), and income. 7 Zimbabwe Operation Murambatsvina/Restore Order National Survey Report 2