estimated 5,000 persons, is woefully inadequate. In urban areas such as the Mbare neighborhood of Harare, the mission observed a large number of plots where there had previously been one main house surrounded by 3 to 4 additional housing structures. In most cases only the main house remained and was becoming overcrowded as the community had sought to absorb as many evicted families as possible. Because of overcrowding in what have now become multi-family homes, many men reportedly sleep outside at night, while women and children sleep inside. A 19 year old woman from Chitungwiza in Harare told the mission: “I was living in a cottage with my younger sister and my disabled brother. My parents had already passed away. Then the clean-up operation came and destroyed the cottage. Now we have nowhere to go and we are sleeping outside. Our blankets and our other property were stolen. We are not going to school because we have no place to stay. We are sleeping outside with my disabled brother in a cold place.” In other testimony to the mission, the affected population expressed a strong wish to be allocated stands/plots where they could settle permanently, with secure tenure. Several people forcibly moved from the settlement at Porta Farm to the transit camp at Caledonia Farm told the mission that they had been displaced up to three times in recent years.55 Evicted families at Hatcliffe Extension also testified that they had been moved upon the Government’s insistence several times in the past.56 Without legal reform, any future allocation of stands/plots would not in itself provide a solution, since the current laws and regulations do not allow people to live on “un-serviced stands/plots”. The mission met with several people and households across the country who had been allocated stands/plots as far back as five years ago, but were unable to build their houses because local authorities had not connected the stand to the sewer network. The limited resources of local authorities, combined with the high regulatory standards, have been a major and unnecessary obstacle to people’s own efforts in creating permanent housing solutions in Zimbabwe. The Special Envoy brought this anomaly to the attention of the authorities, and there were indications in the local papers that this recommendation would be considered. The UNCT interim response plan aims to provide temporary shelter and non-food items for 40,000 households (200,000 persons), at a cost of USD 4.5 million over three months. Priority short-term interventions include the provision of tents, plastic sheeting, blankets, cooking utensils and soap. It is the view, however, of the mission that such assistance would be meaningful only if people are provided tents with stands/plots and the right of occupation during construction, and security of tenure, together with a relaxation of the provisions of the Regional Town and Country Planning Act to enable affected households to gradually rebuild their homes. UN-HABITAT is fielding a resettlement specialist to assist the UN Country Team with this approach. 3.6.2 Water and Sanitation Many of the displaced are staying in overcrowded conditions or out in the open without adequate access to water and sanitation. Unless their situation is improved, there is a serious risk of transmission of disease and of epidemic outbreaks related to water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, 55 56 Visit of the mission of the Special Envoy to Caledonia Farm on 1 July 2005. Visit of the mission of the Special Envoy to Hatcliffe Extension 30 June 2005. 37