and reconstruction aid. On August 30, the UN and the Zimbabwean authorities agreed to rework the text of the emergency appeal and to agree on a humanitarian plan.133 However, unless the government agrees to the contents of the UN appeal, hundreds of thousands of people will remain homeless and destitute. Harassment of NGOs and civil society groups On a number of occasions, the government has proved reluctant to allow civil society groups and local NGOs access to those in need of humanitarian assistance. For example in June, the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese in Mutare was reportedly questioned by the police for three hours when the parish tried to distribute food to people. Police also threatened to close the offices of the Anglican parish.134 One local NGO described how police visited their offices on three occasions and accused them of distributing food to victims of the evictions.135 A couple of local NGOs involved in the humanitarian assistance program told Human Rights Watch that they did so in secret because they were afraid of being harassed and intimidated by state authorities.136 Other local NGOs used their own food reserves and other basic necessities to clandestinely provide assistance to those in need. The government’s harassment of local NGOs has a huge impact on the numbers of people receiving basic humanitarian assistance and protection. This is especially so in the case of women, children and vulnerable groups, a number of whom informed Human Rights Watch that their survival depended on the food, shelter and other forms of protection they received from local NGOs. International Response The mass forced evictions were widely condemned by western governments in particular the governments of the United States, United Kingdom and other European Union governments.137 Many African governments including the South African government once again refused to publicly condemn human rights violations in Zimbabwe and chose 133 IRIN news online, “Zimbabwe: UN and govt to rework text of $30m flash appeal,” August 30, 2005. 134 Human Rights Watch interview with local NGOs and church representatives, Mutare, June 24, 2005. 135 Human Rights Watch interview, Mutare, June 24, 2005. 136 Human Rights Watch interviews with local NGOs providing humanitarian assistance, Harare and Mutare, June and July 2005. EU statement: “Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union concerning the recent events in Zimbabwe,” June 7, 2005; BBC news online, “Why Africa wont condemn Zimbabwe blitz,” June 24, 2005. 137 34